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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26102644">The Frozen Flame</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Balladbird/pseuds/Balladbird'>Balladbird</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Frozen Flame Saga [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:47:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>75,582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26102644</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Balladbird/pseuds/Balladbird</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate take on the events from volume 4 onward, as they relate to three souls.</p><p>Roman Torchwick gains a second chance to leave his mark upon the world, but there's a caveat...<br/>Weiss Schnee gains a companion at a point in her life where she most needs it, but there's a caveat...<br/>Neopolitan gains the chance to reunite with that which is most precious to her, but there's a caveat...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neopolitan/Roman Torchwick, Weiss Schnee/Roman Torchwick</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Frozen Flame Saga [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082081</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Reignited Candle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>That feeling when an off-hand joke in a video evicerating a show you actually rather enjoy makes you pause and go "... Wait, that has potential!  I want to explore that!"   I don't recall the two of them ever exchanging a single line... or even both existing in the same frame without one of them being unconscious, but I feel their perspectives would aid them in developing as people, and writing about the resonance between characters helping them to grow is why I ship, in the first place!</p><p>For those who may be worried about it, allow me to assure you that while I call Torchwick/Weiss a 'ship' here, I don't intend to develop them romantically.  Granted, when I write ship fic, it tends to turn out so chaste that it could be mistaken for a disney movie anyway, so it's a somewhat moot point.   Have a good day!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>ROMAN TORCHWICK</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell!?” The first words that Roman Torchwick managed to form on his lips were reasonable, given the circumstance he found himself in. He was standing on a hard surface, it felt like smooth white marble beneath his bare feet. As he looked around he could see he was on a step… a single massive stair on a stairway that stretched as far as the eye could see above and below him. He seemed to be inside a circular room, with gray stone walls that stretched as seemingly endlessly as the stairway contained within them.</p><p><br/>How did he get here? What was he doing before? He closed his eyes and tried to remember. He was talking -no, fighting- with… ugh, what’s-her-name? The naive brat with the scythe. He had her dead to rights, then…<br/><br/>His train of thought halted as a bolt of pain ran up his spine toward his head, causing him to grip his forehead. Seemed his brain didn’t want to cooperate with him yet. He opened a green eye and looked around once more, trying to find something...<em>anything</em> … familiar. It was then that he realized he wasn’t alone.</p><p> </p><p>On the step behind him stood a gaunt man, naked as the day he was born, standing perfectly straight and staring forward with no emotion on his thin face. Torchwick raised a hand and shook it, as if to draw the man’s attention toward him, but the stranger’s pale blue eyes didn’t even offer to change their direction. He stood perfectly still at the very edge of the lower step, neither breathing nor blinking. <br/><br/>Torchwick turned in a slow circle as he examined the stairway more carefully: each individual stair had someone on it. The steps were fairly big -each long enough that he could comfortably lay on one, if he’d wanted, and more than twice as wide- yet each person seemed incapable of moving onto a step that already had an occupant. The people on steps above him shambled forward like zombies, each waiting for the occupant of the step above them to climb before following suit. The people on the steps below him had come to a complete halt at the edge of their respective platforms, apparently waiting for him to move on.<br/><br/>Men and women. The elderly and children. Faunus and human. There was no commonality between the people around him, save that they all seemed mindless and oblivious to their surroundings. Torchwick seemed to be the only one aware of where he was.<br/><br/>“Curious… so very, very curious.” A woman’s voice echoed in the air around him, her tone almost like a song. The words were accompanied by the <em>tap tap tap</em> of claws on marble. He turned abruptly, jerking his eyes downward in time to see a small, furry creature slowly climbing the stairs toward him. His heart began to race, though as the creature came closer he calmed a bit. She was a white dog, about the size of a golden retriever, with long, shaggy fur and dark brown eyes.That she could speak was strange; that she was here was strange, but... well... she was still just a dog. The tap of her claws grew louder as she closed the distance toward him, her gaze locking on his.  <br/><br/>“A holdup in the line. Such a thing has never happened before. No precedent. No precedent at all. What seems to be the issue?” Her words didn’t seem to address anyone in particular. Their rhythm was rapid and the cadence was jerky and strange. It was a manner of speaking that implied a person who primarily talked only to themselves.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey! Puppy! Up here!” Torchwick called as the beast approached, his voice carrying a confident firmness that, in truth, he didn’t feel at all. “Where am I? For that matter, who are you?”<br/><br/>The white dog halted its approach for just a moment at his question, cocking her head as her eyes examined him from head to toe.<br/><br/>“Speech! The human has spoken! Spoken! This has truly never happened! Absolutely, positively no precedent!” The realization seemed to excite her, as her long, bushy tail began to wag. She resumed her approach now, her pace quickening to a light trot. “For a human to retain its sense of self in this place! How many things must go just right for it to be possible? First: a will to survive so strong it resists the initial shock of death. Second: for the Creature of Grimm who devoured them to have died before digesting their soul completely. Then, finally: for them to have the sheer dumb luck to awaken before reaching the top of the stairway. I stand in the presence of a very lucky human! Quite lucky!”</p><p> </p><p>“… <em>the initial shock of death.”<br/>“...the Creature of Grimm who devoured them...”</em></p><p> </p><p>Another thunderbolt of pain shot up Torchwick’s spine, this time so intense that he fell to his knees from the onset. He caught his weight by throwing his hands beneath him as he collapsed, watching his outstretched fingers press against the smooth marble of the stairway. He’d been fighting the Little Red. He was angry with her. He intended to kill her. Then… a flash in his eyes. A Grim? Only darkness after that. Darkness and a crushing, burning agony. <br/><br/>His breathing began to hitch, and then to hasten, matching the increased speed of his heart as fragmented memories pieced themselves together in his mind. The picture formed slowly, but it felt complete. He’d led an assault. He’d been… forced into a position by the witch and her kids, but it didn’t matter. He’d have the last laugh. He’d turn everything around. He’d survive. Except…<br/><br/>“Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?” He choked the words out after a moment, not really intending to direct the questions to anyone, though the dog was happy to take the initiative. For a moment a glimmer of hope cut through the mix of negative emotions that otherwise occupied his gut.  Was Neo here?  No way in hell she'd become one of these brainless ghouls... maybe they could bust out together!  The thought of his partner in crime brought more hazy memories of his last night alive... sorrow and hatred in equal measure.  It couldn't be that easy to kill her.  Not Neo. <br/><br/>“Two questions the human asked! Two questions, Scathach will answer!” She said, cheerily. She had closed the distance between them while he had been lost in thought, and now stood beside him as he knelt, sniffing him curiously. He let out an agitated sigh and shooed her away, forcing himself back up onto his feet in spite of the lingering pain.<br/><br/>“You are assuredly dead, Mr. Human.” She began, nodding her head as if the point needed more affirmation. She raised her long white snout and looked up at him. “’Afterlife’, however? Hmmm… This is not the place where humans are meant to go when they die. Rather, a world where only the devoured gain access. ‘tis the stairway of purification.”<br/><br/>“Devoured...” Mused Torchwick thoughtfully as he met the beast’s eyes. By instinct he reached for the brim of his hat; his hand impotently fumbling as only air greeted it. He looked up in a panic. Had he lost his hat somewhere? Wait, though… for the first time since he’d awoken he looked down at himself. The light skin of his chest, muscles toned from a lifetime of fighting and struggle, was on full display, as was the skin of regions far more intimate… he was naked! Upon finding out that you were dead, you might expect the followup revelation that you were also not clothed wouldn’t be upsetting… but damned if he didn’t find it so, all the same! He awkwardly placed one leg in front of the other, bending his body, as if to defend his modesty from the animal.</p><p> </p><p>“S-so only people who are eaten by Grimm end up here? Is that what you’re sayin’?” He asked abruptly, as if hoping to distract his companion from something she hadn’t been mindful of to begin with. A bit of a country accent tended to slip into his speech when he wasn’t careful. If what she said was true, it cast a dark pall on the wide range of people on the steps, especially the children, though Torchwick wasn’t such a saint that he was especially broken up about it. The world was cold. Children died every day.<br/><br/>“Just so! Scathach is relieved that she need not repeat herself to you, Mr. Human. The Creatures of Grimm have been put to a purpose, you see. One unknown even to the god who created them and to the rebel who now controls them. The Master of Scathach has connected herself to the stream of-”<br/><br/>Torchwick narrowed his eyes, reaching out to softly grip the dog’s muzzle and hold it closed. She made a disgruntled noise at this, her words jumbling within her maw as she cast him a confused stare.<br/><br/>“Look, I’m sorry, that was my fault.” He said, letting a small smile tug at his lips. His head was killing him, and he really couldn’t handle all of this right now. “I shouldn’t have asked a question when I didn’t really give a crap about the answer, so let’s refocus the subject to something a bit more in line with my current needs: How do I get out of here?”</p><p> </p><p>“’Get out of here’, Mr. Human says.” The dog cackled like a crone, leaning back on her haunches and stretching her forelegs. “’Return to Remnant’, the clear implication. Of course he would want that-of course!- but what should Scathach do? Her duty to her Master is clear… Scathach should rend your consciousness asunder and have you resume your climb, but she pities you, Mr. Human. Quite sincerely.”<br/><br/><em>Resume his climb…</em> He arched his back, casting his gaze as far up as he was able. The stairs extended to the very limits of his vision. Up and up they went, coiled about the inside of the great stone walls like a serpent, leading into a bright white light high above. Staring into that light provoked a visceral reaction in his body. The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end, and he felt his core temperature drop, eliciting a deep shiver.<br/><br/>The confident smile at his lips, and his unshaking gaze attempted to present the hastened tone of the words that came next as mere enthusiasm, though, in truth, primal fear had awoken a sense of dread in him he was usually much better at keeping hidden: “YES! Pity me. Pity poor Roman. Listen, if there’s a way to return, just tell me. You can whisper it if you’re afraid of getting caught. If it’s even remotely within my control, we’ll never meet again, but if we do, I’ll repay the favor someday. Thief’s honor!” <br/><br/>He reached down to grip the dog’s cheeks, and accidentally squeezed a bit harder than he’d intended to.</p><p>Torchwick wasn’t the kind of person to panic at the first sign of trouble, but an instinct deep inside him was screaming warnings inside his brain. No matter what, no good would come from climbing this staircase. <br/><br/>Scathach simply cackled again, her canine eyes narrowing in glee as she licked his wrist and pressed the side of her head against his trembling hand. <br/><br/>“Do not fret, Mr. Human. Scathach has decided. She will aid you for now. Scathach has dwelt within this tower for so great a time that the concept of ‘time’ itself has lost meaning. Watching you struggle against your fate will, if nothing else, abate her melancholy for a spell.” The worry melted off of Torchwick’s soul as her words reached his ears, a sharp exhale escaping him as he threw his arms around her, laughing like a madman.<br/><br/>“Oh! You beautiful scamp, I could kiss you! Don’t you worry, abating melancholy is what I’m all about! So how does this work? Do I gotta click my heels or something?”<br/><br/>“Heels? No…” Scathach once again tilted her head, her floppy ears wiggling. “Mr. Human likely believes he’s seeing right now. That he’s hearing right now. He’s not though. Mr. Human is dead, and the dead have no eyes to see with nor ears to hear with. Human consciousness is not meant to exist in this place, so your soul is directing your perception of the energy around you into a form your mind can comprehend.”<br/><br/>“Huh, neat. Not to restate my disdain for answers to questions I don’t care about… but this would aid in my escape, because...?” Torchwick yawned and stretched, suddenly feeling very stiff. Well, it wasn’t unusual for a dead guy to be stiff, but still.<br/><br/>“Because you’re energy! As is Scathach, and your fellow humans here, and the walls, and the stairway itself! Constructs of dust to be purified, existing within and without the world of Remnant. It’s rare, but the users of exceptionally powerful examples of the ability you humans call 'Semblances' create their power by subconsciously drawing upon this very energy as their fuel. The walls of this stairway prevent gods and humans from stealing the souls Master has rightfully plundered, but they only prevent outside forces from breaking in. If Mr. Human were to find one of the pathways another human’s semblance draws energy from, he could push himself into the stream of that pathway and follow it back to the world he seeks.” Despite having the mid-register, cracked voice of an elderly woman, Scathach’s explanation was delivered at a frenetic, excited pace, like a young girl telling a story. It was clear by her tone that she was happy for the chance to talk to someone, even if they were just asking for directions on how to get away from her. <br/><br/>“Digging my way out of prison, basically. Won’t be the first time I’ve done that… probably won’t be the last. It’s a plan I can ‘dig’, puppy. So how do I find one of these pathways?” He moved to sit at the edge of the step and peer down into the inky blackness that extended below him. Seeing it didn’t fill him with the primal terror he felt when he looked up… but he wasn’t exactly eager to try to go down, either. <br/><br/>“You’ll feel them easily once your mind stops tricking you. Close your eyes and plug your ears. Force your mind to perceive this space as it truly is!”<br/><br/>“That easy? I guess I prefer things easy.” He shrugged, but did as he was bade; closing his eyes and drawing his palms over his ears.</p><p> </p><p>The sensation that followed was difficult for him to articulate, for it was so drastically different from anything he could have experienced while he was alive. He felt his body seem to spread out, expanding and mingling with everything around him. No, that wasn’t it… everything around him was already him. He was a single drop of water in a sea, conscious of his being separate despite being irrevocably a part of the whole. He stifled a gasp as the feeling overwhelmed him, but after the initial shock, he found he was able to extend his senses further than he’d ever thought before. <br/><br/></p><p>Once he’d fully adjusted to the change in perception, he felt those ‘pathways’, just as Scathach had told him. If he and the rest of this space was water, then these pathways felt like straws attempting to siphon that water. They extended through the space around the stairway, but whenever they tried to enter it, the walls would glow and force them to turn and bend around. Torchwick was reminded of those juice pouches his dad would sometimes buy him as a kid, that came with the pointed straws he never could quite get the hang of using. <br/><br/>So this was his ticket back to the land of the living! He instinctively began to drift toward the nearest pathway, reaching out for the wall separating him from his destination.<br/><br/>“Good luck with your escape, Mr. Human! Scathach will watch your struggles with great interest. Oh! Before you go, one final warning: If you’re rejected by the human whose semblance summons you, the connection to the tower will sever and you’ll be returned here. If that happens, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to escape again.” As she spoke, Torchwick flowed toward the wall. He pressed his hand against it, and saw the light flicker and part before him, like a doorway opening. The instant it did, an irresistible force pulled him forward. He felt himself whip and slide as he was suddenly traveling at a great speed. At this point he no longer had any power to resist, so he just relaxed and went with the flow. Hopefully this was taking him home. <br/><br/>‘Reject me? Eh, I’ll just schmooze ‘em. Everyone has something they want, and if I can convince them that I can help them get it, then they’ll trust me even against their own better judgment.’ He mulled over the dog’s final warning as he traveled. He may not know his semblance, but he’d lived as long as this because he had a talent for reading people. <br/><br/>Suddenly what had seemed like an endless tunnel before him came to an abrupt stop. A light blue glyph began to etch itself into the space around him, but before he could even try to make out what shape it was taking, he crashed through it, watching as his body was swallowed up by a freezing aura, and then feeling his consciousness fade to darkness.</p><p> </p><p>***<br/><br/>He wasn’t sure how long he was out, but when he came to he was surrounded by a light blue fog that hung in the air, obscuring his view. As he blinked himself awake he saw that his hand was now clad in a long black glove… giving him a hope that he confirmed as he looked down to find that his trademark outfit was back, though this was tinged with some disappointment as he reached up and discovered that his hat was still MIA. Ah well! He wasn’t sure why, but he wasn’t naked, anymore. That’d make this a little less awkward, at least.</p><p> </p><p>The mist cast everything around him in shadow, but he saw enough to feel a surge of excitement. He was in a room now. He could make out the outline of a bed nearby. The dark blue and white tiling of the floor shined to such a sheen that it made the surrounding seem to glow… He was out!<br/><br/>“Hey, is anyone there?” He called out, looking around in an effort to find his summoner. “Listen, I know this is sudden, but hear me out, okay?” He’d turned 90 degrees before he saw her. <br/><br/></p><p>She was a small woman. Even from his position a few feet away he could see that he towered more than a head over her. Her skin was such a pale white that within the shroud of the mist around her she seemed almost to vanish. This wasn’t a problem for her eyes, though, despite their sharing a similar blue to the fog he could feel the strength of their gaze as she peered at him, a look of utter shock on her face. <br/><br/>“There you are! Hi, sorry for the intrusion, but I am SUPER glad to see you! Today has been such a chore, after al- wait a minute...” He took a couple steps closer to her. Her hair seemed only marginally shorter than she was tall, white as snow, and kept in a ponytail tied just to the right side of the back of her head, breaking the symmetry of her features. Something about the look was familiar to him. He didn’t think he’d ever talked to her before, but he felt like he’d seen her, absolutely, and by the time he’d taken his fourth step toward her, the pieces clicked together.<br/><br/>‘The train, Roman. You know her from the goddamned train. She’s one of Little Red’s friends...’ He stopped abruptly in mid step as the thought occurred to him, and a wry smile beginning to pull at the corner of his lips. Hey, it was one time… and he was fairly sure she was unconscious at the time... maybe she didn’t remember him?<br/><br/>Alas, while she hadn’t spoken since his arrival- no doubt understandably shocked from the sight of a human spirit summoning himself from her Semblance- Her eyes slowly began to narrow, her brow furrowing in an unmistakable look of both recognition and disgust.<br/><br/>“Of course this is what’s happening. Of course it is.” Torchwick muttered as he slumped his shoulders and sighed, only to immediately straightened himself up and looked her in the eyes, raising his hands in the air in an effort to make himself look as nonthreatening as possible. He had to plead his case before she severed his connection to her. “W-wait, though, Snowflake, listen. Please, PLEASE listen!”<br/><br/>There was an angry scream, followed by a flash, and suddenly the room became much colder.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Wounded Snowflake and the Nomad Soul</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A difficult question awaits Weiss: Is the company of an enemy preferable to loneliness?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Weiss Schnee</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before her peaceful day was interrupted, Weiss had been standing in front of her bed, practicing her singing. The months since the fall of Beacon had brought her to a low point, emotionally. The days she’d spent there had been the happiest she’d ever known, but more than that, the school itself had come to stand as a physical representation of the direction she wanted for her life. While she was there, her dreams of walking her own path, bringing good to the world, and repairing the image of her family name felt tangible and within reach. Thus, its destruction had crushed her, almost as much as the loss of a dear friend, and her powerlessness to save so many lives. <br/><br/>Just a few months earlier she had friends, she had purpose, and she felt free. Now, she was back at home. Her team was scattered, and here she was, preparing to sing despite feeling like crying. Playing the part of the obedient daughter. The contrast hung on her heart, tainting the happy melody she was rehearsing with a sorrowful undertone. Her mind felt like such a quagmire of negative emotions she wouldn’t be surprised if every Grimm in the country could sense her.</p>
<p>It was at that moment it’d happened. She felt her Semblance trigger itself, unbidden. There was an explosion of energy that coated her room with icy mist, and within that mist… HE had appeared. In a way she found it darkly amusing: Having her own power activate without her consent and summon an enemy beside her was such a perfect representation of her life these days.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once she’d registered what was happening (and recognized who she was staring at) a deep, frustrated rage filled her heart. She hadn’t seen him that day, but she’d heard about it from Ruby. She knew he was one of <em>them</em>. The people who stole her happiness from her. The pain of that loss, ever in the background of her thoughts, was forced to the fore of her mind. Whether he deserved this rage was beside the point. He represented the forces that destroyed Beacon. The forces that killed Pyrrha. The opportunity to strike out against those forces, and to hurt them even just a fraction as much as they had hurt her, was more than she could resist in the moment. <br/><br/>“You!” She roared furiously, shimmering glyphs beginning to form around her as she lunged toward him, and a second thunderous explosion of icy energy erupted throughout the room. Her left hand instinctively reached for the hilt of Myrtenaster, despite knowing it wasn’t there. She hadn’t been prepared for a battle in her own room, and was armored in nothing more than a dark blue nightgown… but even this didn’t stop her from charging forward. He remained in place, arms raised submissively, speaking to her, though she ignored the words. She could never forgive him.<br/><br/>She closed the distance between them in an instant, raising a hand to strike him. He made no move to defend himself, instead closing his eyes and bracing for impact as her fist reached his jaw… and passed through him, as if he were made of smoke. The energy she’d put into propelling herself forward hadn’t accounted for the lack of contact, and before she could correct her course she flew right through him and across the room, crashing into her dresser vanity with a loud <em>thud.</em></p>
<p><em>Why is this happening? Why is he here?</em> The first thoughts began to pierce her rage as she shakily returned to her feet. <br/><br/>“Listen, I get it. I deserved that. Um.. but for the record, that was all you. I didn’t do anything. Like I said, I come in peace.” <br/><br/>His words reached her, and she felt herself calming a bit. Still, something about that slick, condescending tone of his struck a nerve in her. <br/><br/>“You don’t ‘get’ anything, you cretin. If you did, you never would have shown your face to me after… after everything. What did you do to my Semblance?” Her tiny body shook with the fury that had propelled her. Roman brought one of his hands down to the back of his neck and massaged it uncomfortably. <br/><br/>“Now we’re getting somewhere. I’ll happily tell you everything! Just give me-” He began, but the sound of panicked knocking at her bedroom door cut him off. The redhead groaned in frustration and rolled his eyes, but went silent.<br/><br/>“Ms. Schnee!? Ms. Schnee!? What was that noise? Forgive my impropriety, but I’m coming in.” The voice belonged to an older man. There was a clicking sound as a key was pushed into the lock, followed by a creak as he pushed through the door. <br/><br/>Klein was a portly fellow, and he waddled a bit as he rushed into the room, his lips turned downward in concern and his bald head glistening in the light refracted from ice crystals still hanging in the air. He swiveled his body as he looked about the room, the concern on his face gradually melting into horror at the signs of battle all around. After a moment, he finally muttered a soft “What on earth happened here…?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His presence helped to calm her further. The family butler had arguably been more of a paternal figure to her than her actual father. Now that the rush of repressed, directionless anger was starting to lose ground to reason, she found herself processing the situation more clearly. She wasn’t sure how he did it, but Roman Torchwick had hijacked her Semblance and slipped into the Schnee family manor. She wanted answers, but she could wait until Ironwood had him back where he belonged: in a cell. <br/><br/>“Klein! Call the guards; we have an intruder! Have this man placed under arrest.” She pointed to Torchwick as she spoke, who only offered a beleaguered sigh in protest. At her words, the old butler’s eyes grew wider, shifting their color to red as he cast his gaze in the direction she indicated.<br/><br/>“An intruder? Heavens! Where is he!? How in the world did he slip this deep into the manor?” He stalked toward Torchwick, but, like Weiss before, traveled through him as he scanned the room for the intruder.<br/><br/>“Hehe, it kinda tickles, y’know? Still wish you guys would stop doing it.” Said Torchwick, with a bored yawn. Weiss frowned slightly, confused.<br/><br/>“Klein, did… Did you not hear that?” She asked as he continued to scour the room, dropping down on his knees to check under the bed. Could Klein not see or hear him?<br/><br/>“Hear?” responded Klein, groaning as he labored himself back up from the floor. “I heard you scream. Then I heard some kind of explosion, and- Oh!” He interrupted himself with a horrified moan, and for just a moment Weiss had hope that he noticed Torchwick, but instead his eyes fell behind her, toward the vanity she’d crashed into earlier. She had slammed into it at quite a high speed, and the white wooden desk was bowed in the center, with the great mirror beyond it shattered into fragments. “I hadn’t realized you’d been attacked so fiercely, Ms. Schnee! Did the intruder escape the room?”<br/><br/>Weiss’ heart sank. Was she being haunted by a ghost? Had despair driven her mad? She didn’t think so on that last point, but she felt like it was a conclusion any outsider would draw if she tried to explain it. Perhaps Winter would understand, but Klein? He certainly wouldn’t think she was lying to him, but would he have faith in her senses when even she was doubting them? She weighed her options for a moment before sighing and lowering her head.<br/><br/>“I...lied about the intruder. I’m sorry Klein.” She offered after a moment of silence. She took a few steps to the side and gestured toward the shattered mirror. “I’ve been… frustrated, of late, and-”<br/><br/>“Ah.” The old man replied, his eyes shifting from red to blue and his voice softening as he frowned. “I understand, Ms. Schnee. The pressure that’s been placed on you since your return would be enough to annoy anyone! Venting our negative emotions can be a good way to deal with them before they get dangerous.” It was clear that finding out there was no intruder had lifted a great weight of concern from the old butler, though it was replaced with a sad resignation in his voice as he headed toward the door. It was an emotion she was used to inspiring in him, given his powerless role as a servant and her… ‘fraught’ relationship with her father. <br/><br/>He walked toward the door and opened it once again, turning back to look at Weiss one last time. <br/><br/>“Forgive me for intruding upon your private space so frivolously. Fear not, though.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of the destroyed furniture and chuckled gently “Tomorrow I’ll make sure we get this whole mess sorted out long before the old blowhard becomes wise to it, eh?”<br/><br/>“It’s quite alright, Klein, thank you for your concern, and for always looking out for me.” She lowered her head further, out of regret for lying to him as well as feeling bad for the extra work she’d created for the help staff during her outburst. The old man simply nodded and gave her a reassuring smile before stepping back into the hall and closing the door. <br/><br/>Silence fell in the room as the sound of the old butler’s footfalls grew more distant. Weiss looked at Torchwick, who looked right back at her. He had a neutral expression on his face, which was quite the counterpoint to the deep frown she was wearing, but it seemed like both were trying to give the other a chance to speak first.</p>
<p>The situation confused her, and that confusion added to the sense of powerlessness that had haunted her ever since she fell back into her father’s clutches. It was a sensation she’d know her whole life, and one she was sick of. Hadn’t she broken out the first time to prove she could help others? That she wasn’t a powerless doll to be ordered around?</p>
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<p><em>Venting our negative emotions can be a good way to deal with them before they get dangerous… </em> It was true she felt a strange peace now. Impotent though her attack had been, being allowed to personify the attack on Beacon, and in some way strike back at it, had given her a bit of closure. She hated this man, but she did have to concede this much. <br/><br/>“Five minutes.” Weiss was the first to break the silence; her voice as cold as the ice surrounding them. “You have five minutes to tell me why you’re here.” A grin spread across Torchwick’s face at her command, and he obliged her.<br/><br/>The story he spun was not one she expected. Tales of death, and of endless stairways where devoured people travel ever upward to an unknown fate. Finding out that her family’s Semblance was somehow connected to this space, and that he’d used that connection to return to the living world. She listened in silence, her frown never softening.<br/><br/>“That’s about the size of it. I’m a hundred percent at your mercy, Snowflake.” Torchwick finished sullenly.</p>
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<p>Weiss cut her eyes at him. What a sick joke, all this was. How many hundreds...No, how many <em>thousands</em> of innocent people had died that day? People just living their lives until some sinister force decided to stage an attack on their homes? How many hunters-in-training risked and gave their lives trying to defend those innocent people? Yet all of them remained dead, and <em>this guy</em> got to crawl back? It was disgusting. If the gods saw fit to finally let a person come back from the other side of death, why not someone more deserving? Why not Pyrrha?<br/><br/>“Mercy? And just why should I show <em>you</em> mercy? Literally the last thing you tried to do was kill one of my best friends. No, worse than that! You tried to kill one of my best friends while also acting to destroy an entire city. From where I stand, you’re the lowest of the low. I don’t know what this staircase you mentioned is all about, if you’re even telling me the truth, but whatever it is, it’s better than you deserve.” She tried to keep her tone formal and polite, divorcing emotion from business as she’d often seen her sister do, but a bit of her seething contempt still found its way to the edges of her voice as she condemned him. This was how she earnestly felt, and she was tempted to simply sever their connection now and be done with it, but some part of her held back.<br/><br/>The cocky smirk vanished from Torchwick’s face, and the easy confidence he seemed to always display cracked a bit. She expected him to dodge her gaze as she presented his crimes, but to her surprise he maintained their eye contact; his emerald gaze only narrowing slightly as he finally spoke in his defense.<br/><br/>“It really is funny that I would end up tethered to you, of all people. Only Little Red would have been worse.” He began with a bemused laugh. “Listen, Snowflake, I’m not gonna apologize for what happened. It would be patronizing if I did. My life hasn’t been a noble one. I’ve lied, cheated, and stolen. I’ve plotted and schemed, and the world has probably been a worse place for hosting me all these years. I didn’t attack Beacon because I wanted to, but I did attack it, and the truth of that ain’t something I can undo. Most of the blame lies on the Witch and her brats, but I’ll accept my share! You’d be enacting justice to send me back to death.<br/><br/>“Here’s the thing, though… I know you have no reason to believe me here, but listen: There’s something bigger at play than justice for a small-time crook who got in over his head. I feel like, by escaping from that place, I got a glimpse of something really bad for the world. Something everyone has been missing for a long time. It’s just a hunch, but I feel like- if you cut me off and send me back there- you’ll be closing the door on the last chance to save a lot of people from something much bigger than an army of Grimm marching on a school.<br/><br/>“You’re a hunter, right? You really gonna turn your back on a danger like that? Look, I can’t change the past, but we can change the future. Let’s work together while we’re stuck together. You have all the power here, so if you ever feel like I’m being shady you can just cut me off! In the meantime, while we’re a team, I swear to do all I can to be of use to you. What’s a thief without his honor, right?”</p>
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<p>Hmm… It was true that she couldn’t quite bring herself to doubt his claims, outlandish though they were. He mentioned a dog telling him about a rebel who controlled the Grimm, and some unseen ‘Master’ who used them in some other way. Whether he was as necessary for stopping whatever scheme these forces had as he claimed was a separate matter, though. All she knew about him was that he was a criminal, and a ruthless one at that. Could she really bring herself to trust him?<br/><br/>“I’m going to ask you one last question. Answer it honestly, because this is what decides whether I trust you or not. Understood?” She said, settling herself. She began to walk around him slowly, her eyes narrowed as if to peer past his placid, confident shell and spy his true thoughts.<br/><br/>“Hey, if I’m lyin’ I’m dyin’! Literally, in this case.” He turned his head to keep his gaze on hers as best he could while she moved, a smile threatening to tug at his lips. <br/><br/>“You probably don’t care, but I lost a lot of things I cared about recently. Irreplaceable things.” Weiss could hear her voice break, despite her face wearing a reasonably convincing mask of stoicism. She cast her eyes downward thoughtfully. This was a question she’d found herself asking a lot, ever since that day: “Maybe you weren’t the mastermind behind it, but you helped her do it. So, if you want me to trust you, then tell me: Why? Why did Beacon have to fall? Why did so many people need to die?”<br/><br/>The older man was silent for a moment, reaching a hand up to comb his bangs to the side as his developing smile shriveled into a frown instead. It was, perhaps, the most honest expression she had ever seen him wear, though in fairness they had only ever crossed paths under the worst of circumstances. The silence that hung between them was weirdly comforting to her… at the very least, allowing herself to sit in silence was more comfortable than singing in emotions she didn’t feel. <br/><br/>“I didn’t have the luxury of being overburdened with information about the grand scheme, myself. If you want the details of that, your question should be aimed at the Witch.” He began. The words themselves contained the same bravado he always carried, but something about his delivery was different. There was a wistful regret in his tone. “But if you want to know why I cooperated with them, that’s easy to answer: I didn’t wanna die. That’s all.”<br/><br/>“That’s it!?” She repeated, half surprised and half exasperated. She could feel her stomach twisting into knots as waves of sorrow and anger washed over her in equal measure. <br/><br/>“Have you ever felt trapped, Snowflake? Forced into a situation you hate because someone decided they wanted you to be a part of it? Someone so powerful you didn’t get the option of refusing? I’m a thug. It’s what I do, and I’m damned good at it. I’m not some sort of high-minded terrorist with dreams of changing the world. That Witch, though? Believe me... She’s got friends in dark places. The second she decided I was gonna be a part of her scheme, that was the end of the discussion. If I’d refused to cooperate, I’d have been very brave and noble, and I’d have died very quickly… then some other stooge would have gotten dragged in instead, and nothing would have changed.”<br/><br/>“It wasn’t some other stooge, though. It was you. Don’t pretend you’re innocent in all this.”<br/><br/>“Innocent? There ain’t an innocent adult left in all the world. Most of the children are pretty rotten too. <em>Especially</em> the children, come to think of it…. Little bastards, every one. I’ll get sidetracked fast if I think on that too long, though, so let’s refocus: I’ve got blood on my hands, for sure- uh, so do you, by the way- and I paid for it. I literally paid with my life. I can help you stop the mastermind behind that attack, though. I’m in no position to be asking for a favor, but give me the chance to redeem myself! You may find it hard to believe, but I lost something precious and irreplaceable to me that night, too.” He finally broke eye contact as he almost whispered that final sentence. Weiss thought for just a moment she saw sadness on his face.<br/><br/>She scowled at him, all the same, his disposition already exhausting her. Deep down she wanted to send him away. It could hardly be argued that it was what he deserved, and he was right: she didn’t owe him anything. So then, why didn’t she? She felt something nagging at her. <br/><br/>His story about the stairway? No, that wasn’t it. It was alarming, to be sure, but too far-fetched for her to simply accept on faith alone. <br/><br/>Rather, there was some fundamental thing about his position that resonated with her.<br/><br/><em>Have you ever felt trapped, Snowflake?</em><br/><br/>She closed her eyes and exhaled sharply. ‘Trapped’ was the word she would use to describe her entire life. Forced to bend and contort herself for the happiness of a man whom she couldn’t quite believe possessed a single shred of affection for her. Her friends always supported and empathized with her struggles, for which she was eternally grateful, but some part of her had always envied their freedom. Their family situations weren’t perfect, either, but they’d known unconditional love, and could take for granted that they could live their lives however they wished. <br/><br/>Reopening her eyes, she looked down at her uninvited guest. He had shifted his body: now sitting cross-legged on the floor with his arms on his knees and his face pointed downward, obscuring his eyes beneath the curve of his bangs. He looked less like a criminal mastermind right now and more like a mischievous child waiting for his mother’s inevitable punishment when he got back home.</p>
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<p>Back home... Perhaps it was because she was here. Because she felt so isolated and helpless, so desperate for someone to end her loneliness that even this man’s presence was welcome to her. Fate of the world aside, perhaps she felt tempted to give him mercy because- for just a moment- she felt like he could understand her. <br/><br/>“If you give me cause to believe you’re plotting anything, I’ll cut you off immediately.” She finally spoke, her tone still firm, but not quite as icy as it had been earlier. “Likewise, if I catch you invading my privacy in an ungentlemanly way… well, by the time I send you back to that stairway of yours you’ll be begging for death.”<br/><br/>“Woof! Scary. Well, much as I love scary women, perish the thought, snowflake. I’ll be on such good behavior they’ll want to consider me for the clergy.” He looked up at her, incapable of suppressing a broad smile of relief. Normally she found his grinning face infuriating, but there was such genuine warmth in his expression now that she even felt a small smile of her own breaking out. He was a reasonably handsome guy, Weiss caught herself thinking. Not to her personal taste, but at the very least she had to concede that his bravado and apparent love of his own voice had their own kind of appeal when he wasn’t busy committing war crimes. <br/><br/>“If I’m to tolerate your presence, I expect no less. I’ll need to discuss this with my sister the next time I see her, though. I wonder if any of her summons have ever behaved like this?” The reality of the fact that she was talking to a ghost was starting to dawn on her. This should have felt like the weirdest thing to ever happen in her life, but something about it seemed so weirdly normal after the year she’d had. <br/><br/>“Winter Schnee, huh?” He mused in reply, sarcasm heavy in his voice. “We’re great friends. I’m sure she’ll give me a ringing endorsement.”<br/><br/>“Well, this is the best deal you’re going to get. Don’t forget you’re a criminal! Frankly, if I had to keep you a secret all to myself, I feel like you’d drive me insane.”<br/><br/>“As harsh as you are scary! My body may be ghostly, but my feelings aren’t! Well, you’re already doing me a solid here, so I guess I can’t complain. I look forward to working with you, Snowflake.”<br/><br/><br/>It was a strange covenant they’d formed. They exchanged barbs for a while longer before Weiss forced him to stand in the hall while she collapsed into her bed; her drained body finally succumbing to the exhaustion that had begun to sink into her long before his intrusion<br/><br/>As she lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, she felt the twisted knot of thoughts and feelings in her core finally begin to unravel one by one. Despite herself, she felt a little lighter now. A bit more relaxed.</p>
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<p>This had been the first thing to happen in her life since her return home that she’d been allowed to make a choice about… and that, coupled with finally having a companion again- not a companion she’d ever in a century have chosen for herself, but a companion, all the same- felt so freeing. <br/><br/>For just a moment before she finally fell asleep, she felt the way she had back at Beacon. She felt free.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It takes me two full chapters to finally get the characters where I wanted them in my crack fic...  I'm not so good at this fanfic thing, methinks.  XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Tethered to a Caged Bird</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>At long last, the odd couple are together, but is Weiss truly feeling like herself?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>Roman Torchwick<br/><br/></b>Torchwick stood beside the bedroom door, all alone in the long, dark hallway. He’d originally decided to pass the time by scoping out the building. Casing the joint, like in the good ole days, or at least hitting up the library to see if there wasn’t some tome of eldritch lore containing <em>something</em> he could do to set himself free. Alas, he hadn’t made it more than a few doors down the hallway before he felt a pressure on his body that weighed down his limbs. It grew stronger the further he traveled, until eventually reaching the point that he was physically incapable of advancing any more. <br/><br/>This aroused his suspicion, so he began to head in the other direction. Sure enough, he only made it about as far the other way before the force trapped him once again. Yup, it seemed there was a limit to how far away from Weiss he was allowed to go. A pretty stingy one, too. He wasn’t sure exactly how far her bed was from the door to her room, but even by his most generous estimates there was no way he’d traveled more than 30 feet.<br/><br/>He sighed. Probably just as well. Even if the Schnee family happened to have a book tailored to his specific needs, it wasn’t like he could open it on his own, anyway. Either way, It was going to be a long night. <br/><br/>Part of him wanted to wander into her room just to spite her, but he couldn’t bring himself to break the promise he’d made to her.</p><p><br/>… Man! That was an alien thought. Roman Torchwick was never the kind of man to honor a promise after it became even the slightest bit inconvenient. When he’d arrived, he’d fully intended to tell any lie he thought she needed to hear to get her to let him stay, but in practice he’d been strangely honest. Indeed, he volunteered far more truth about himself than the situation even called for, and he wasn’t sure why. Part of it was desperation. Literally the only scenario that could have made his odds worse than getting attached to one of Little Red’s friends was getting attached to Little Red herself, after all. Truthfully, though, for a while there he’d completely given up, and resigned himself to death.<br/><br/>Seeing her in that state had a weird effect on him. She reminded him of someone he only vaguely remembered. Someone he’d spent much of his adult life trying to forget… and seeing her in that compromised situation made him feel like he owed her something, so he overshared in kind. <br/><br/>Meh! No use thinking too hard about it. It was a stressful situation, and this was a temporary arrangement. He needed to stay focused on what he needed to do.<br/><br/>The first step was escaping from that stairway. Well, he could put a big damned check mark next to that one! The second step was convincing his new host to let him stick around. At least for the moment he could put a check there, too. Now that he had an anchor to the world he could start on step 3: finding a way to get his own body back. Realistically, he wasn’t gonna find that in a mansion, and since he was currently suffering from a reverse-restraining order, that meant he was going to have to somehow convince Weiss to get out of here.</p><p> </p><p>Therein lies the rub, though. It was only a hunch, as he’d only really had the one interaction with her so far, but something about her just seemed different from before. She seemed despondent and defeated, like she was just going through the motions of life. Sure she was an ice queen, but where had her<em> fire</em> gone?<br/><br/>He took a deep breath and shook his head. Again, no use overthinking it when he wasn’t sure something was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>To distract himself, he began to pace the hallway. Well, he ‘paced’ as far as the leash he was stuck on would permit him to go, anyway, and patiently waited for the minutes of the night to tick away. As he walked, he happened upon a framed photograph hanging on the wall. The Schnee family: A man, a woman, two daughters, and a son. All gazed out from the picture sullenly, wearing expressions the rich liked to fancy as ‘dignified’, but which always looked to Roman more like ‘miserable’. He examined the painting a bit, reaching out a hand only to be frustrated (though hardly surprised) when his fingertips vanished into the object without resistance. He hadn’t managed to touch anything with his hands since returning, and his annoyance about it was beginning to mount.<br/><br/>There HAD to be a trick to this! After all, he wasn’t falling through the planet. He was even able to sit on the floor if he wanted to, and could possibly sit on other objects as well. Passing through walls was a convenient skill to have, but if he didn’t figure out how to interact with the world he would be dependent upon the Ice Queen for everything. The thought elicited a groan. He was so, <em>so</em> tired of feeling powerless. <br/><br/>He tried for a while longer to touch the painting, but eventually tired of the failures and headed back to the door of Weiss’ bedroom. From there, the stillness of his night would only be interrupted by the occasional intrusion of a pair of guards, who appeared every hour without fail to walk the length of the hallway. When they got to Weiss’ room their behavior changed: One would always stop, kneel down to peer into the keyhole, then nod to the other, confirming she was still inside.</p><p> </p><p>Ah… now he understood. Guards protecting you from the outside had a different manner to them than guards keeping you inside. It was a distinction he’d learned to appreciate after the first few times he’d ended up behind bars. No wonder the little snowflake was so frustrated! She was a prisoner in her own home, and since he was her prisoner, that meant he was double-trapped. He really couldn’t seem to catch a break! What had he ever done to deserve this?<br/><br/>All that said, part of him wished he hadn’t realized her predicament. It was hard for him to hate someone he pitied, and Weiss’ situation was certainly pitiable. Still, his thoughts went back to the fight atop the airship- to what Little Red had done to Neo- and he decided that, however hard it may be, he’d surely find a way to hate her, all the same. <br/><br/>***</p><p> </p><p>“Blue, white. Blue, white.” Roman yawned dismissively, complaining about the colors of the walls, floors, furniture… everything, really... as he walked beside Weiss. His long night finally ended, with Weiss waking not long after sunrise, and the pair of them had departed her room, though he thought better of asking her what she was up to. He still wasn’t sure why she’d relented and agreed to let him stay, but he knew enough to realize it was a tenuous alliance at best, and he had to avoid upsetting her too badly. Alas, though, he had a disposition that so loved to tease… and she seemed like the perfect target for teasing. <br/><br/>The pair of them walked further, past there residential wing of the mansion and into the great foyer: a grand, shimmering staircase of dark blue and white inviting them down into the entryway. Despite himself, Torchwick shuddered. By this point he was as tired of stairs as he was of feeling powerless. They descended slowly, then rounded the corner toward the dining room. <br/><br/>“… and to the shock of nobody, what do we have? More blue and more white.” He chuckled taking a seat at the end of the long dining table. His eyes widened as he found he was able to sit down without any effort, feeling the chair take his weight above it as if he were any regular human. Excitedly, he reached down to press his fingertips against the seat’s padding, and only barely stopped himself from screaming in anger as his hand once again phased through the solid matter. What the hell!? What did his ass have that his hands didn’t?<br/><br/>Weiss, oblivious to his struggles, stared daggers at him as she took her own seat at the end furthest from him.<br/><br/>“Give it a rest.” She whispered. The dining room and kitchen were separated by a thin wall, and as she took her place servants quickly trotted out to her, busing trays of food. She hadn’t even needed to make a request or let anyone know she was coming! Man, the rich really did live in their own special world.<br/><br/>“Hey, don’t take it out on me. Not my fault the Schnee family seems to have a blood feud with the concept of color.” He sniped back cooly. The table itself was longer than some of the houses he’d seen in the slums, with at least thirty chairs lined along its outer perimeter. Every single place was set with a plate and a wrapped collection of silverware. All this despite the fact that the family was only, like, half a dozen people! Just in case they were randomly beset by 30 of their closest friends at the last minute?<br/><br/>“Those colors represent our family and our company. It’s tradition… not that I expect you to care about such things.” Weiss waited to reply until after the servants had placed her food in front of her. She sounded strangely proud as she defended the home decor. Torchwick’s thoughts fell back on the guards he’d observed last night, and what she’d said to that tubby butler guy about being frustrated. Guess home is home, even if it’s also your prison. He could sort of relate to that. <br/><br/>“You expect correctly! In my experience ‘tradition’ is just Stockholm syndrome for the mistakes of our ancestors.” He acknowledged with a sly nod, before conceding, “Hey, who am I to judge, though? I have some signature colors, myself.” <br/><br/>“Yeah, we noticed. You’re not exactly a subtle guy.”<br/><br/>“Touche,” Seeing all that pride, a consummate gadfly like him couldn’t help but poke her a little bit, so against his better judgment he added, “Still… the SDC is known for more than its color scheme. Profiteering, smuggling, industrial sabotage, and that’s not even getting into the animal abuse. You guys have a rap sheet that could rival mine! Is that ‘tradition’, too?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course not! Our family may have lost its way in recent times, but we aren’t defined by our mistakes.” She glowered forward, a determined frown on her lips. Seemed he’d stumbled upon a subject she was quite passionate about. “I’ll put us on the right track again. I have to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Listen to you! I’m relieved to see so much fighting spirit. It’s kind of cute when it’s not being used to foil my plans.” He laughed softly, a warm sound to mask some cold memories. Her completely earnest reactions to his needling questions were already promising to be an endless fount of amusement for him, but he had to be careful to stop pushing while he was ahead. More than anything, he was relieved to see that she still had some fire in her, after all. Seemed her ‘real’ self was just hiding under the miserable, trapped princess he’d glimpsed last night.<br/><br/>As they talked he absently reached out for the bundle of silverware at the place setting before him, clicking his tongue in frustration as his gloved fingertips fell through the material and gripped only air. Still no progress…<br/><br/>Weiss ate in silence for a few moments, though she didn’t have long to enjoy it before another voice called out to her.<br/><br/>“Well! As I live and breathe. To think we would be blessed with your company multiple times in one week!” The voice of a teenage boy, outwardly cheerful and confident, but with an undercurrent of sarcastic condescension… not that that last point was a stone Torchwick should ever throw. He looked over to the entrance of the dining room, finding the source of the voice standing there.<br/><br/>Roman immediately recognized him from the picture he’d seen last night, although he was much older now. This must be the son of the Schnee clan? The boy was a scrawny little twerp, with pale skin and effeminate features. So much so that he could have been a dead ringer for his sister, were it not for her modest chest and less-than-modest ponytail. He was dressed in a light blue vest over a white button-up shirt, with matching slacks, and wearing the most smug, punch-able smirk Torchwick had ever seen in his life… though he again admitted he probably shouldn’t be the one criticizing others for such a trait. <br/><br/>“Good morning, Whitley.” Weiss offered cordially, not bothering to look up from her plate. Ah! Whitley Schnee. Unlike the daughters of the line, Torchwick didn’t have any firsthand experience with the youngest son… but he didn’t need firsthand experience or incredible psychic powers to tell this wasn’t a loving sibling interaction. <br/><br/>“Oh, don’t worry! I don’t intend to intrude upon your sullen meal, I just wanted to express my relief that your melancholy is finally beginning to lift. For a while I’d begun to fret that perhaps your bedroom door had been welded shut.” His smirk grew wider, and he tilted his chin up slightly, literally looking down his nose at her.<br/><br/>“Yeah… I’m sure you’ve been beside yourself worrying about me.” She rolled her eyes, tapping her fork absently against what remained of a breakfast sausage. Her brother seemed either oblivious or apathetic to her hostility, however, and merely reached into the pocket of his vest, extracting an ornate pocket watch.<br/><br/>“Yes, well, wounded as I am by your lack of faith, I can’t tarry long. Father has entrusted me with a most important task. Would that all of us had the luxury of lounging about the house all day! I hope your disposition continues to improve. Best of luck in your charity concert performance. We highborn have a duty to ameliorate the suffering of the unwashed masses from time to time.” He bowed his head and left as abruptly as he’d entered. It seemed he’d come and talked to her for no greater purpose than to show off how busy he was. Torchwick watched him leave, shaking his head thoughtfully.<br/><br/>“Y’know, I gotta thank that kid,” He said with a grin. “Sometimes I forget why I hold the Atlas elite in such seething contempt, so it helps to have a reminder.”<br/><br/>“Really? From where I sit you two are a lot alike.” She returned his grin with a bemused smile of her own, her cool blue gaze narrowed his way. Harsh as her words were, there was a light playfulness to them that at least implied she was getting better at hiding her disdain for him. He’d take that! Progress is progress. <br/><br/>“Honesty, Snowflake.” He labored the distinction to her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “The secret ingredient is honesty. A low-born thug like me will rob ya, but at least I won’t try to pretend I’m doing you a favor when I do it. High-born thugs can’t do that. They won’t rest until they convince you that it sure was nice of them to return your emptied wallet to you. It’s good to have self-awareness, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmmmmm...” Weiss’ voice rumbled in her throat, her eyes narrowing still more at him. <em>Seem</em><em>s</em><em> she was less than impressed by the difference</em>, Torchwick thought. How genuinely shocking! “Well, whatever. He’s the least of my worries, right now.” <br/><br/>“Oh? Do you mean the concert he was talking about?” Torchwick asked. Weiss finished eating, pushing the plate away from herself and letting out a long, beleaguered sigh. <br/><br/>“Why? Are you going to pretend to care about me, too?” She asked, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand. Torchwick didn’t doubt she intended the question to be confrontational, but a little bit of her abject misery had seeped into her voice, as well. Once again, pitiable! If she insisted on being like this she would almost rob his teasing of all its fun. Almost.</p><p> </p><p>“Geez! You’re not even in your twenties yet and you’re already so cynical. That’s not healthy.”<br/><br/>“So you really care then? After <em>everything </em>that happened between you and my team?” She raised a fair point. After last night he’d tried to stop letting himself think about Little Red at all. Every time he did so he was reminded of Neo’s terrified face as the turbulent winds pulled her into the void, and that mental image conjured a fury in his chest that he had a difficult time keeping off his face. The ‘Preschool Huntress Pals’ really could rot in hell, for all he cared.<br/><br/>“It’s the transitive property, Snowflake.” Fury aside, he finally settled on how to respond to her. This was her home, but she was completely alone here. She didn’t need him to be another enemy to worry about. Not that he cared, of course. Absolutely not. It would just be counterproductive to add to the things making her hide in her shell, is all. “I care about me. I care about me deeply. For the foreseeable future, you and I are joined at the hip. Almost literally, as it were. So, if I care about me, and me equals you, logically I care about you, too. Get it? Don’t feel like you have to face all your problems alone! Come on! Vent. Vent to your ole pal Torchwick!” <br/><br/>Weiss sighed again, this time in resignation, and stood from the table slowly. Torchwick followed suit. His host looked from him, to the wall, and back again. As she did so, the frown at her lips slacked and reformed several times. A thousand thoughts were running through her mind all at once, and he could only guess what they were.<br/><br/>Then, she finally spoke. She started speaking in her normal tone, but the words grew gradually more fast paced and frantic as she went, “I’m performing a concert in a few days. To raise awareness and funds for Vale. It’s proving quite a challenge for me. The attack on Beacon left me with a lot to think about, and before I could even start processing it I got pulled back home, and now I have to sing when I just want to...”<br/><br/></p><p>She stopped abruptly as her voice began to crack, saying more in the moment than she’d meant to. Tears were beginning to pool behind her eyes, but she furrowed her brow and refused to let them flow. Torchwick found himself looking away from her, feeling as if he was seeing a side of her she would rather have kept private. Had this been the first time she’d been able to vent about all this? <br/><br/>“Funds? From old-money Atlas? For Vale? You’d have an easier time squeezing orange juice out of a turnip. Well, that aside, I guess-from my outsider perspective- the biggest point of confusion I have is: why do you ‘have’ to sing?” He realized that what he said right now wasn’t really important. He needed her to escape from this pity party she had fallen into if he was ever going to convince her to leave, but he was an old enemy, so she wouldn’t listen to him if he tried to advise her. She was going to have to work out her problems on her own. All he could do to help himself was to let her talk through her problems and hope to the gods she could figure herself out on her own. <br/><br/>Ugh! He really should have billed her upfront if he was going to play the therapist. Still…<br/><br/>She walked silently for a while. Weiss seemed like the type of person who was always vaguely pissed off about something, but there was no fight in her body language now. Her shoulders were slumped, eyes cast downward, and her thin lips bore a soft frown that felt more ‘resigned’ than ‘furious’. Torchwick pondered whether he should push the issue or let it lie, but before he could make a decision one way or the other she finally responded.<br/><br/>“I was on the grounds of Beacon when it fell. It would be to the benefit of the Schnee family and company to remind the world that we stood in defense of Vale in its hour of need.” There was no pride in her voice this time… no emotion at all, for that matter. She spoke like a reporter relaying a quote they had no personal stake in. Torchwick reached up and brushed his bangs away from his eye, scowling thoughtfully. He wasn’t sure why, but her response annoyed him. <br/><br/>“What are you, a parrot? If you’re gonna use someone else’s words to justify why you’re doing something, you could at least pretend you agree with them.” To his surprise, she reacted to his words by turning to face him, meeting his gaze with a joyless smile.<br/><br/>“Have you ever felt trapped, Roman Torchwick?” Her question hit him hard. So hard he stopped walking for a moment. Ah, so that was what was going on. Seems family drama was what had robbed the Ice Queen of her fire. Suddenly, he could start to piece together what it was he’d said that convinced her to spare him last night. <br/><br/>“Gotcha, gotcha, fine. I guess we have a concert to prepare for, then… unless you wanna run away? Leave the heiress and huntress life behind and become an outlaw? Hey! Have you ever considered Dust smuggling? With your connections to the SDC and my connections to the underground we could build an empire!”<br/><br/>For just a moment she gave him a genuine smile. A warmth that he’d never seen from her before radiated from the expression, and he was fairly sure his heart skipped a beat… if it was even beating to begin with. That moment was quite short-lived, however, and her lips quickly straightened into a flat, bemused line. <br/><br/>“I’ll thank you not to project your fantasies onto me, you dolt!” A bit of genuine sharpness had found its way into her voice, but despite the anger there was a sort of levity about her body language, as her steps lightened a bit- from a wistful shuffle to a more brisk walk. Seemed his instinct about her was right: She was at her happiest when mildly annoyed by something. <br/><br/><br/>“Sorry about that. I forgot, you kids hadn’t met the real world yet. I envy your naivete. Still, it’s an open invitation, if you change your mind.” He exhaled sharply and shrugged. These heroic types were the kinds of people he got on with the worst. He was completely at her mercy, though, so for now he had to try to make himself as pleasant as possible. <br/><br/>“I want to help people. I want to erase the stigma on my family name. That’s why I’m going through with this concert. If I were willing to hurt the innocent for something as ridiculous as an empire, I’d just follow in my father’s footsteps.” <br/><br/><em>Deep breaths, Roman, old buddy. </em>He thought, closing his eyes to hide that his right eye had begun to twitch. He <em>really</em> didn’t like these heroic types. Prattling on about the ‘innocent’. One of the many truths he’d accidentally divulged to her last night had been his sincere denial of the existence of innocent people. <br/><br/>The world was too bleak. Too cruel. The rich only cared about their own egos and their own comforts… even Weiss’ obsession with her ‘family name’ reeked of egotism to him. The poor, in turn, could present a veneer of kindness in times of plenty, but revealed their true selves when times got hard. They’ll put hunters up on a pedestal, but that’s because they want those same hunters to die for them someday… and they all inevitably will, because every Grimm you kill will be replaced by two more. His offer to her may have been self-serving, but he did really believe she’d be better off just taking his advice and living free.<br/><br/>Anyone naive enough to think otherwise could never be convinced of that, though. Not with words, anyway. It was a lesson only time could teach. Life had a way of punishing optimism.<br/><br/>“If you say so! Remember, I’m at your service here. I’m just sayin’ that you look pretty miserable for someone who’s ‘choosing’ to do all this.”<br/><br/>“Don’t talk like you know me.” Her eyebrow twitched and her ponytail jiggled as she stopped and tilted her head toward him. She looked like she was trying to puzzle out how much of his concern was genuine. The fact that she had to question that at all was a credit to his acting… because while he couldn’t help but pity her, she <em>was </em>his enemy. <br/><br/>“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I get that you’re under a lot of stress right now. I was just trying to help, but I can tell I was out of line. I can’t help it, I like to poke nerves sometimes, but we’re a team now! The two amigos! Snowflake and Torchwick: the hat-less ghost. If you’re hellbent on following through with this concert, then I’ll help you out any way I can.”<br/><br/>She grimaced, but did seem less overtly angry with him, so he was willing to take that as a compromise. It was a frustrating situation for him because she obviously wanted to get out of this place. A fact which dovetailed quite nicely with the fact that he, too, wanted her out of this place. Why did these goody-goody sorts have to insist upon denying their true selves?<br/><br/>“This is all I can do to help Vale now. If the people of Atlas hear my song, they’ll understand.” She muttered this silently, more to herself than to him. Seemed even she needed to be convinced this was something she wanted to do.<br/><br/>Her words brought a sense of relief to Torchwick, though. She was hinging her stubbornness on the charity of the people of Atlas... which meant she was about to learn a harsh truth about the world even without listening to him. The kinds of people who would be able to attend a concert held by the scion of the SDC were the kinds of people who would never, in a million years, feel the slightest bit of concern for their fellow man. If it couldn’t make them money, and it wasn’t something they could smoke, drink, or screw, then they had no time for it. It was a lesson he’d also needed to learn the hard way, back in the day.<br/><br/>He offered no further resistance to her after she spoke, allowing silence to fall between them as he looked ahead and massaged his shoulders. Seemed all he could do for now was wait.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Quiet Night/This Rotten World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss' mental state continues to improve, but can it survive a first-hand encounter with the apathy of the rich?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Merged chapters 4 and 5 together for the sake of pacing.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <strong>Weiss Schnee</strong>
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<p>Weiss danced about the courtyard, hopping from foot to foot as she weaved her way around the wooden dummies she’d set up. Her body was angled as she approached the first line of them, her off-hand at her hip as she darted forward and extended the tip of her sword like a piston. She pierced each of their chests with a single strike per target, then crafted one of her glyphs before her. She used this energy to violently launch herself backward into another line of targets, which she dispatched in a similar fashion. She then ended her attack by igniting the dust within the barrel of her sword, striking the ground with the blade and causing a torrent of ice shards to erupt around her, gliding out in all directions to strike everything at once. <br/><br/>By the time she was done, all twenty-five of the dummies she’d set up had been knocked down and perforated, a few damaged beyond repair. She took a deep breath as she surveyed the area, pulling at the fabric of her shirt to fan her chest. Klein had insisted she wear thick, protective clothing, which slowed her down a little bit… as had lack of practice, but on the whole this wasn’t a bad training session! It felt good to be moving her body again.<br/><br/>“You’re in rare form today, Ice Queen!” Torchwick said cheerfully, offering a small golf clap from the bench he was seated on. The courtyard was a small, grassy enclosure at the center of the mansion. There wasn’t much to it, save a small garden and a few trees, but the long stretch of flat, grassy land was ideal for an exercise like this, and it was the closest thing to properly going outside she could hope for without a heavy escort. <br/><br/>“I’m a little off, actually.” She admitted with a shrug, using the back of her arm to wipe some sweat from her brow. “This is the first time I’ve done martial practice since I got back home. Father doesn’t like me doing it, so I have to try to squeeze it in whenever he leaves.”<br/><br/>“Oh! So you mean to say that this,” he gestured from her to the legion of vanquished wood all around them, and back again, “is a rebellion? Breaking the rules? Living on the edge? I’m proud of you! We might make a proper outlaw out of you, yet.” <br/><br/>“Ugh, don’t ruin this for me by saying stuff like that.” She said, the annoyed tone undercut somewhat by the happy bounce she had in every step she took. It was a little distressing how quickly this had begun to feel normal for her. <br/><br/>By now over a week had passed since she and Torchwick had made their deal. They argued on occasion, but on the whole he tended to be surprisingly pleasant with her. Suspiciously so. He was ever-smiling, and generally supportive and reaffirming of her, but- while she never quite felt that he was outright <em>lying</em> to her- she also never got the sense he was being totally upfront with her. He kept his true thoughts hidden... buried beneath a personable facade.</p>
<p>It would be a lie to say she trusted him. She wasn’t a wide-eyed idealist like Ruby. People don’t change often, and when they do, it’s never fast or easy. A guy like Torchwick wasn’t going to turn over a new leaf just because his criminal ways literally got him killed. If she really did help him get his body back, she knew for a fact that- regardless of any promises he made- he would be back to his old ways almost immediately.</p>
<p>Even knowing that, though, the thought of cutting him off disquieted her. It felt a lot like murder.</p>
<p>Granted, she was no stranger to killing, despite her youth. Killing the Grim was one thing: they were soulless monsters who existed for no greater purpose than to cause suffering to others. A bit less cut and dry were the White Fang...<br/><br/>Her history with the Faunus was somewhat checkered as a result of her privileged upbringing. Had fate never seen fit to team her up with Blake, she might have remained a terrible person where they were concerned, and her words and feelings toward them for all the early years of her life remained an intense source of shame for her, in hindsight. However, that didn’t mean she regretted her actions against the White Fang. The things they were attempting to do had to be stopped, and every one she had ever slain had been trying to kill her right up to the point that she’d killed them. They were still living, sentient creatures, though, and she had enough common humanity to acknowledge that the bloodshed of their conflict was a tragedy.</p>
<p>Compared to those battles, Torchwick was helpless. He had no means of defending himself, short of protesting, nor any way to do her harm. She didn’t owe him any favors, but she gained nothing from hurting him, either. He may only be pretending to support her while he’s here, but that was more than any of her actually family members were doing for her.</p>
<p>So it was that she’d kept him around. All for the sake of a strange amalgam of misplaced guilt and eagerness to believe a reassuring lie. At first, anyway.<br/><br/>Then, as days went by, something strange had happened. She began to regain her appetite. Her room, which may as well have been her tomb for the first few months since she’d returned, became merely the place where her day began. She had started to wander and socialize more normally.</p>
<p>The melancholy and despair that had been her constant companions since her return hadn’t left, really, but the grip of their talons in her soul had lessened a bit more, day by day. Today, she’d even felt the itch to try combat training… a notion that wouldn’t have occurred to her even just a week ago, regardless of whether her father was close by or not. She felt like she was reclaiming the person she wanted to be- the person she had been during those happy days at Beacon- little by little. <br/><br/>Should Torchwick get the credit for this? Not really. This side of herself, this ‘fire’, as he was fond of calling it, had never stopped smoldering within her. Something about this place, and about her father, made her feel overwhelmed and powerless, but she’d never intended to allow those feelings to beat her. She wasn’t a doll to be directed as her father pleased, however much it sometimes felt to the contrary. <br/><br/>Still, his arrival was the spark that began this transformation in her mindset, and while the motive behind his efforts to reassure her wasn’t pure, having him around to listen to her problems had helped her start directing all her sorrow and anger into a positive direction. He may be a criminal, and he may be her enemy, but in this moment his presence in her life was making it better. She couldn’t help but feel grateful to him for that, regardless of his ulterior motives.</p>
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<p>She hurriedly cleaned the ice and debris from the courtyard, much to Torchwick’s amusement, then had him wait in the hallway as she returned to the manor to shower. It had felt so good to exercise again that she’s forgotten the big reason she was so eager to train again: her concert was tomorrow. The thought filled her with dread. <br/><br/>Not the public performance part, at least. She’d been singing for crowds since she was a little girl, and she felt justly proud of her singing ability. Rather, it was the more daunting task at the heart of the event, for her: convincing her peers here in Atlas to lend their support to Vale. Torchwick wasn’t shy about expressing how futile he thought the whole plan was, but she had to believe in them.</p>
<p>Before she’d left home for the first time, and before she’d gone to Beacon and met her friends, these were her people. If she had continued to walk down the path her father laid out for her, they were the kind of people whom she would eventually become. If they were like her, she had to believe they could be reasoned with. They could be made to see what a tragedy the fall of Beacon had been. <br/><br/>That she might succeed was what worried her, though… If she could somehow help Vale from here, despite being powerless to protect it while fighting on the ground as a huntress, then would it mean her father was right all along, and she’d been a naive fool for refusing to listen?<br/><br/>She shuddered, and a chill ran up her spine heedless of the hot water pouring over her. Thinking about it was starting to bring the gloom back into her heart, so she tried to forget about it for now. She finished her shower, spent the next hour brushing her hair, and when her spirits still refused to rebound, decided to just give up on the rest of the evening and go to bed early. <br/><br/>Thinking about tomorrow wouldn’t change anything. Whatever happened, happened. She yawned and sighed, emerging from her private bathroom in an eruption of steam. She was wearing a light blue button-up silk nightgown, her unbound hair falling freely about her frame like an elegant cape of snow, and as soon as she entered her bedroom she dragged her feet all the way to her bed and collapsed onto it in a heap. Suddenly, she just wanted to sleep.</p>
<p>Strangely, however, ‘screw it, whatever’ wasn’t much of a reassurance for her, and an hour later she was still awake. Despite how heavy her eyelids felt, keeping them closed took conscious effort, and any time she got close to sleep those same thoughts would seep into her mind again. Fear that he was right. That this was where she belonged, and that she would never escape from it again. Her time at Beacon may have ultimately served as nothing but a means for her father to enhance his torture: allowing her to glimpse the life she wanted, but could never have, so that the everyday life she’d had before would be all the more painful for her. <br/><br/>She frowned, giving up on the strain of keeping her eyes shut, and staring vacantly out into the darkness of her room. What was wrong with her? Why did she behave so differently in this place than literally anywhere else? Who was she, really?</p>
<p>“Hey, Torchwick, are you there?” She called out softly. He still wasn’t high on her list of people to talk to, but he was the best option available right now, and she had a feeling if she left herself alone with her own thoughts right now, they’d try to pull her into a very dark place.<br/><br/>“Need you ask? It may shock you to learn this, but the entertainment options within a 30-foot radius of your bedroom are somewhat limited, especially for the incorporeal, so I never wander far. What’s up?” His voice had its usual cool, detached manner, even when muffled on the other side of the bedroom door.</p>
<p>“Would you mind coming in here for a while? I need to talk to someone or I’m going to go crazy.” She lay on her back now, staring up at the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. <br/><br/>“Into your room? I recall you made me promise I wouldn’t. Are you sure it’s okay? This isn’t some kind of setup?” <br/><br/>“It’s fine. Just this once.” She replied. For all his feigned hesitation, not more than a second passed after she gave her permission before his head poked straight through the wooden door. He looked about curiously for a moment before stepping through with the rest of his body, tapping a toe against the ground and adjusting his coat. Weiss watched him enter with a neutral expression, not even flinching at this, anymore. It was weird how quickly you could get used to a ghost walking through walls in front of you. <br/><br/>He stepped inside, leaning his back against the wall beside her bedroom door. He did a lot of leaning. He’d confessed to Weiss that he could only seem to interact with the physical world if he approached it backwards, a fact which pretty obviously frustrated him, though he always tried to play it off. <br/><br/>“So this is your room, huh? This is my first time seeing it without the winter storm advisory in effect. It’s nice. Very fitting for an-.” He scanned the room slowly, his green eyes so bright they shone even in the darkness. When his line of sight got to the bed he met her gaze and abruptly trailed off his words. The confident smile he always wore melting into surprise as unexpected silence befell them. <br/><br/>“W-what’s wrong?” Weiss asked, his intense stare causing her to look away. After a moment he shook his head, as if to restart his brain, and replied.<br/><br/>“Sorry. I’ve just never seen you with your hair down before. It’s a nice look! Surprised you don’t wear it more often.”</p>
<p>“Oh...” She furrowed her brow and blushed a bit despite herself, a hand reaching up to stroke her hair absently. “I let it down to make it easier to get to sleep, sometimes. Keeping it down otherwise is a bother. It doesn’t make fighting easy. Or walking. Or doing much of anything.”<br/><br/>“So it’s a practical decision! Your sister would be proud. Either way’s fine, though. ‘If it feels good: do it’, that’s the Torchwick way to live. What’s on the agenda for tonight? A slumber party? Want to talk about boys and do each other’s nails? I’m game for sure, but Snowflake...” He raised his gloved hands up to either side of his face, shaking them for emphasis, “I’m not confident I can take the gloves off in my current form.”</p>
<p>This time it was Weiss’ turn to cause a sudden silence because she was staring. Well, ‘glaring’, more precisely, as she didn’t even attempt to keep her annoyed disappointment off her face. <br/><br/>“Maybe this was a mistake.” She said in a cold tone before turning away from him. “Never mind.”</p>
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<p>“Oh, come on, Ice Queen, no need to pout.” Torchwick protested in a reassuring tone. “I was just trying to lighten up the mood a little. You look more down in the dumps than I am… and I’m six feet under them! Y’know you got a captive audience here, so why not use it?”</p>
<p>There was another moment of silence before Weiss sighed, rolling back around just far enough to allow one light blue eye to peek back over her shoulder at him.<br/><br/>“The concert is tomorrow.” She groaned.<br/><br/>“Yeah, so we’ve discussed! I thought you’d made your peace with that.” <br/><br/>“I thought so, too, but I really don’t want to do it.” Came her sullen reply. She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow.<br/><br/>“Right! So then… don’t do it?” He offered, eliciting merely a disdainful snort from the upset girl.<br/><br/>“...I have to.” She shook her head, muttering into her pillow.<br/><br/>“Oh, well, better do it then?” He said in the same tone as before.<br/><br/>“But I really don’t want to.” <br/><br/>“Right! So then… don’t do it?”</p>
<p>Weiss finally turned back toward him at that, growling a bit. He raised his hands once more, this time defensively, before frowning sternly.<br/><br/>“As I recall, this was a good thing. Something about helping Vale? What happened to that?” He’d done a good job of concealing any negative emotions she’d elicited in him since he’d begun to haunt her, but his slight frustration with her was clear. She couldn’t even fault him for it, really. She wasn’t making much sense to herself these days, either. <br/><br/>“Nothing. I want to help Vale rebuild more than anything.” She said. That much was true. She wanted to believe that if it hadn’t been a charity event for precisely that purpose, she would have never allowed her father to push her into the performance. “I’m just scared. When Cinder launched her attack, I was there. I was a huntress, and no matter how hard I fought, I couldn’t save anyone. What if tomorrow is different? If by singing and mingling I can make them care about Vale, I’ll be able to save it in a way I never could have as a huntress. Will that mean that Father was right all along? That this is my place, that these are my people, and that leaving home was a mistake?”<br/><br/>Intellectually, she knew that it wasn’t that simple. She was being unreasonable with herself. Trauma and a sense of helplessness had left her feeling vulnerable. She hated feeling like this.<br/><br/>“You’re worried your dad may be right about something? The vacant-eyed imbecile with the walrus mustache? Relax! There are only two things that dimwit is good for: if you need someone to spend his wife’s money, or a machine capable of turning champagne into piss. I can’t help but feel you’re giving him way too much credit.”<br/><br/>“Maybe,” She conceded. Part of it was being back here, but just the thought of her father intimidated her. While she was living at Beacon she couldn’t even bring herself to speak to him. In her mind, she had built him up into this great, formidable demon against whom she never stood a chance unless she fled. <br/><br/>“Was your father like that, too?” She asked after a long pause. She had begun to fear that if she kept trying to talk through her feelings about tomorrow, then their conversation would loop endlessly, so instead she tried to distract herself with a different subject.<br/><br/>“My dad?” He asked with a bitter snort, “Nah, he was the most kind-hearted idiot I’ve ever met in my life, even counting your little hunter group. That isn’t a subject I’m willing to discuss tonight, though-- Or ever, for that matter.”<br/><br/>“No? Tell me something else, then. Do you ever feel anything besides groundless self-confidence and contempt for everyone else? Have you ever cared about anyone?” She continued. In all the time they’d been together, he was always needling her to talk about her feelings, but never offered anything of his own in return. She had always been a little curious about whether he was as shallow as he always seemed. <br/><br/>“Caring about me is a full-time job! I mean, you <em>have</em> seen how amazing I am, right? I’m Roman gods-damned Torchwick! The rolling stone by which all others are judged. You know what they say about rolling stones and moss and whatnot.”<br/><br/>“Oh, I see.” She said in a deflated tone. She frowned a bit, eyes narrowed, but there was no anger in her expression, only an intense disappointment. She couldn’t really be surprised someone willing to do the terrible things he’d done would be like this. <br/><br/>Another uncomfortable silence. Weiss truly was beginning to feel like inviting him in had been a mistake. She didn’t want to be alone, but someone like him couldn’t help her, either.</p>
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<p>“Oh, don’t look at me like that.” He said finally, crossing his arms and turning away. It was difficult to tell in the darkness of the night, but Weiss thought he might actually be a little bit flustered. After a moment he finally conceded with a long sigh. “Fine! I’m not usually one to play fair, but I guess I <em>have </em>seen you at your lowest more than once since I got here. I may be a crook, but I’m not a monster.”<br/><br/>“I’ll keep your hidden heart of gold a secret, promise.” She replied with a roll of her eyes, hoisting herself up into a seated position with her legs crossed under the covers. It really was starting to feel a little bit like a slumber party, though she hated how amusing that was to her. “Does that mean you <em>did </em>care about something?”<br/><br/>“My confession, dear Ice Queen, is as follows,” He cleared his throat and put a hand to his chest, as if swearing an oath. “I, Roman Tochwick, once had a cat.” <br/><br/><br/>“A… cat?” She slanted her brow at him. She wasn’t sure what she expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. He nodded twice in quick succession, affirming her question with a solemn grunt. She couldn’t find it in her to doubt him when he was being so...err...strange, so it was her turn to sigh and concede. “You just don’t seem the type, is all.”<br/><br/>“Right? I totally agree! That’s just the thing, though. You wanna know the story of my life? Just an unending sequence of cats forcing themselves into my life and imposing their will on me in turn. This one was special, though, because I actually didn’t hate her. You know how it goes with strays? Sometimes you feed one for a laugh, and it decides it’s going to adopt you? That’s what happened with us. She followed me around for so many years I kind of forgot what my life was like before she showed up.”</p>
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<p>“It’s so hard for me to picture.” Weiss admitted, a light smile tugging at her lips, all the same. “I mean, it’s hard for me to picture you not committing some sort of felony in the first place, let alone showing compassion to another living creature.”<br/><br/><br/></p>
<p>“So rude! And after I went through all the trouble of exposing my soft, vulnerable underbelly just to make you feel a little better.” He reeled back a bit, crossing his arms and looking away in a show of indignity. It was strange behavior to take for a man who wanted to accuse <em>her</em> of pouting. <br/><br/>“I guess that was a little unfair of me. We didn’t really know you that well. Outside your day-job, I mean.” The smile that had been threatening to form was finally beginning to spread across her face in earnest. She didn’t for a moment believe he had any genuine concern for her, but he was still trying to make her feel better. Maybe he <em>was</em> capable of being a decent human being… so long as it was the only way to get something he wanted. <br/><br/>...It really was strange he had such a strong dislike of her father, come to think of it, since they shared that much in common.</p>
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<p>“Exactly. Committing felonies is just what I do for a living. I may be a scoundrel, but when I’m not on the clock, I have hobbies, same as anyone else. Though, I do admit that most of my hobbies are… also felonies. Eh, maybe you do know me pretty well.”</p>
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<p>“You are a criminal, after all. So then? What happened to your cat?” Weiss asked, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but she’d almost forgotten she was back and home. The atmosphere in her room had come to resemble how she’d felt at school. <br/><br/>She watched as, for just a moment, every trace of merriment drained from Torchwick’s body language: his casual smirk slowly giving way to an expression that looked half sad and half furious, then vanished again. He looked away from her and stared instead into the darkness beside her bed. <br/><br/>“She died.” He said simply, his voice as newly devoid of fun as the rest of him. Weiss’ own smile began to waver a bit as she subconsciously shifted in place. Maybe this was a bad subject to bring up, after all?<br/><br/>“I-I’m sorry, maybe I-” She began to offer an apology, but didn’t even get halfway through it before she was interrupted by the sound of Torchwick’s laughter. It surprised her, both the notion that he would laugh after what had just happened, but also the sound of it. It wasn’t the maniacal cackling she would have expected from a criminal mastermind, but rather a deep, warm chortle that seemed to fill the air around them.<br/><br/>“Snowflake, I’m kidding.” He reassured her, simmering his laugh down to a snicker as he reached up with the back of his hand to brush a mirthful tear from his eye. “You really shouldn’t believe everything a guy like me tells you. I thought you were the grounded, cynical type!” He was so amused he’d even begun to double over a little, clearly quite pleased with himself.<br/><br/>“Wait, so you lied?” Weiss demanded, her hands balling into fists. This jerk! To think she’d started to feel bad for him! He finally got control over his laughter, taking a deep breath as the fit finally came to an end with an amused exhale.<br/><br/>“Maybe I did, but in my defense,” He paused for effect, winking one eye as he raised his hand and pointed toward her, “… I made ya forget about your problems for a minute, didn’t I?”</p>
<p>Weiss had been preparing to shout, but his words had hit home, the realization of it causing her to go wide-eyed. She had completely forgotten about the concert! Had this been his plan the entire time? Was he secretly some sort of genius of cheering people up? It was hard to believe he possessed that level of empathy, based on their history.<br/><br/>For a while neither of them spoke, though the silence didn’t feel awkward or heavy, as it had before. It was almost comfortable. Before she’d realized it a laugh of her own had begun to rise from her chest. It started as a soft giggle that barely sounded through her gritted teeth, but then erupted loudly. Seeing this, Torchwick began to laugh again, and for a minute they just enjoyed feeling jovial together.</p>
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<p>“Anyway,” It was Torchiwick who eventually broke the spell, finally standing again, “I’m starting to get that worrying about stuff is just, like, your hobby, but you’ve been thinking in circles. There’s no such thing as destiny, so nowhere can be your ‘place’ without your consent. Just do what makes you happy.”</p>
<p>Ha! This was new for him. He tended to encourage her to talk about her problems, but she couldn’t recall a time he’d ever actually tried to give her advice… outside his repeated insistence that she would make an incredible dust smuggler. She didn’t mind this, of course. The fact that he was one of the only forces in her life at present who didn’t act like he knew what was best for her was a big part of the reason she didn’t mind having him around… but in this instance it was a nice change of pace. The advice was very Ruby-like.<br/><br/>Weiss smirked and laid back in her bed. Come to think of it, when you got past the cynical detachment, there was a handful of things about his way of looking at life that reminded her of Ruby. Part of her wanted to tell him so, just because she knew how much he’d hate to hear it. <br/><br/>“Maybe.” She said airily, centering her head onto her pillow and feeling her body begin to sink into the warm softness of her bed. The reduction in her worry only helped her to remember how tired she’d been. <br/><br/>“Just something to think about. If you enjoy stress that much, I don’t have the heart to tell you to stop indulging in it. Either way it turned out to be a fun slumber party, after all. Thanks for inviting me! We should do it again sometime. In the meantime, I shall return to my cold, blue hallway, and see you again in the morning.”<br/><br/>He walked back toward the door, stepping through it as he had when he entered, though before he fully left he leaned his upper body backward, turning toward her and waving a final time.<br/><br/>“Good luck with the performance tomorrow. I’ll be sitting stage-side.” He flashed her a mischievous smile and finally vanished. Her eyes had already begun to lose their focus as he did this, though, and she heard his words without comprehending them.</p>
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<p>***</p>
<p><b>Roman Torchwick</b><br/><br/>Today had brought many changes with it, some more welcome than others. For one thing, he was finally able to leave the mansion for the first time since his return to Remnant. That much he enjoyed, as well as being shuffled off in a limousine to the concert hall, though when he reached the hall itself, and discovered that it, like the manor, was decked exclusively in shades of blue, white, and black, he felt himself re-dying a little bit inside.<br/><br/>Someone needs to stage an intervention for this family. They have a problem.<br/><br/>From there it was a spectacle he’d never had a firsthand experience with: dozens of people showed up, soon to be hundreds, and then thousands. It was clear the Schnee family name had some pull on it, and at the price charged per-head to attend, the event would definitely raise a lot of money for Vale, which would make the Ice Queen happy-- though Torchwick would gladly eat his much-missed hat if more than a baker’s dozen of the attendees actually knew or cared what the event was meant to accomplish. <br/><br/>The contrast between this atmosphere and the dismal, isolated existence he had been living back at the manor was so sharp that he almost felt overwhelmed. Weiss didn’t mingle with the crowd prior to her performance, choosing instead to sequester herself in the backstage room and warm up. Tied to her as he was, this meant he couldn’t go out and see the crowd for himself, either, but even from here the din of thousands of excited voices- people yammering and getting gradually more drunk- was palpable.</p>
<p>Not getting to mix himself up with that crowd wasn’t really breaking his heart. Torchwick wasn’t an introvert by any definition of the word, but he wasn’t a social butterfly either. He took a ‘quality over quantity’ approach to human interaction, and on the occasion that he did feel the urge to party, this was far from the sort of scene he would want to crash. Never in his entire life had he ever encountered one of these blue-blood types who had anything to say that was worth the effort it took to listen to them.</p>
<p>So it was that he spent the waning hours of the afternoon alongside the girl holding him hostage, doing his best to play the part of the supportive friend as she continued to do battle with the same demons that had been plaguing her for the entire time they’d been together. She’d been in surprisingly high spirits when she awoke that morning, which he took as a sign that at least their night together had been a bit helpful, though as they’d approached the concert hall her countenance began to gradually darken again. It was as if being confronted with the reality of what awaited her had chased all her resolve away again.</p>
<p>Still, he’d come to realize that, for as much as the Ice Queen liked to over-obsess with the negative, when she settled on a course of action she always tried to follow through with it. By the time of her performance she had calmed down; she had abandoned both the relaxed attitude she’d had the previous night and the stressed attitude she’d carried into the building, in favor of a mask of stoic, determined stillness.</p>
<p><br/>He walked with her and her escort as she rounded the backstage and waited for her cue. When she heard the announcer declare her name, the pair of them headed out to the spotlight, with her moving to the center of the stage and him walking around it to hop down to the seats below. The house was packed, so he contented himself to lean his back against the wall and cross his arms.</p>
<p>Weiss was radiant. If he hadn’t spent as much time with her as he had, he would have mistaken her for merely being professional, but now he could see the sorrow she radiated, as well. She was, after all, a caged bird being made to sing. She scanned the entire area slowly before she began. When her gaze reached the place he was standing, their eyes met for a moment and he smiled reassuringly; She gave him an expression he couldn’t begin to interpret, then turned away from him, faced the audience once more, and began her performance.</p>
<p>The two of them had been together for almost as long as she’d been preparing for this event, so he had heard most of the song many times already, but man! There really was no comparison to hearing the actual performance. The instant she raised her voice, the crowd fell completely silent, and all attention fell to her. The melody she sang was wistful and a little angry… appropriate for something like the attack on beacon, though Torchwick couldn’t escape the feeling that the source of those emotions was something smaller and more intimate to her.</p>
<p>...in fact, he knew for certain this was the case… for something strange began to happen to him as he listened. He had kept his eyes on her as she sang, but his vision began to haze. The light around her lost its definition, and formed a blinding halo that stole everything else from his line of sight. It was then that the images began.<br/><br/>Scenes from a life he didn’t recognize began to flow into his mind. The mental image of a crying woman looking over at him from from under her arm, gripping a bottle in her hand. Of Jacques Schnee pulling him by the wrist, so forcefully he feared that his arm may be ripped from its socket. Of a young girl he could only barely recognize as a teenage Winter Schnee lecturing him. The memories came to him in still frames, so fragmented he couldn’t understand their context, only the emotions behind them: sadness, frustration, fear, and loneliness.<br/><br/>It was as if some divine being had stitched together a patchwork quilt of images from another person’s life, sewed until that quilt stretched on for miles, and then pushed the entirety of it into his mind. His breath hitched as a wave of pain slammed into his brain, causing him to fall to his knees cradling his forehead in his hand. He felt like a balloon being filled with air until it burst.<br/><br/>The pain was bad. As was the intensity of the negative emotions he was feeling second-hand, but the worst sensation was of losing himself. His consciousness was drowning in an ocean of alien memories, his own thoughts and feelings subsumed and swallowed by them, carried away into the currents of his subconscious. He began to feel as if his existence itself would be erased, and the instinctive terror this instilled in him quickly overrode his senses.<br/><br/><em>Make it stop. Make it stop… Make it stop! </em>The phrase was the only thing he could think as he attempted to escape, wanting to be away from this place, from her song. He turned and attempted to push his way through the wall, but he’d already been near the limit of how far his invisible leash would allow him to be from Weiss, and he felt that familiar weight trap him down.</p>
<p>Then the sensation ended.<br/><br/>In an instant the flood of memories halted, and the pain it brought with it. Torchwick blinked, suddenly feeling exactly as he had before Weiss started her song. He awkwardly forced himself back up onto his feet and returned to the stage. The sound of audience applause was deafening, and in response Weiss bowed her head slightly before turning to return to the backstage area. For a moment he stared at her, but finally regained his senses enough to chase after her.<br/><br/><em>What the hell was that?<br/><br/>***</em></p>
<p>Jacques Schnee’s laughter filled the ballroom, and he clasped his conversation partner on the back joyfully. The concert’s after-party was as lively as the lead-up to the concert had been, with the entire crowd now packed into the massive auditorium next to the performance hall. Long tables had been set up along the walls, lined with food, and servants traveled between the guests with glasses of champagne on offer. The far wall was covered in framed painting for the auction that would conclude the evening. The atmosphere was as busy as it was devoid of any substance.<br/><br/>Weiss and her brother had been kept at their father’s side since the moment they’d arrived here, forced to stand in his wake as he traveled from one boring guest to another and exchanged meaningless pleasantries. When a servant moved past them, the old walrus gasped in delight, taking one of the champagne glasses from her tray and downing half its contents in a single gulp. <br/><br/>“Looks like the machine is starting up early today...” Torchwick leaned down and whispered into Weiss’ ear. She snorted, giving him a disapproving look despite covering her mouth to conceal her smile. He winked and gave her an apologetic shrug, knowing in a place like this she couldn’t really interact with him.<br/><br/>She hadn’t spoken much since the end of the performance, but it was clear she was less than thrilled by her public’s reaction. She may have half-hoped to reach these people, but he found it hard to believe that even she could be so naive as to believe it in full. The ruling class of Atlas were collapsed into balls of hedonism by the gravity well of their egos, and that wasn’t going to change just because of a song, however heartfelt.</p>
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<p>He grimaced, remembering what had happened to him during the performance. He knew she hadn’t done it on purpose, but whatever it was, it’d left him feeling a bit… overstimulated. Well, if he needed to turn his brain off for a while, this was definitely the crowd to do it in. Most of these people didn’t look like they’d had a thought in their lives. <br/><br/>“Stimulating as shadowing the world’s least interesting rich man is, I’ll leave you to it for now. Gonna go drink in the atmosphere. Good luck staying awake, Snowflake.” He whispered. She looked back at him, frowning a bit, but nodded her consent, and he took off into the crowd of people. <br/><br/>This was, perhaps, the first time he ever felt blessed to be dead. The room was packed with bodies: young trust-fund boys chasing skirts, middle-aged status climbers kissing up to the next rung on their social ladders, would-be gold diggers looking for the next old man to sink their hooks into... All very drunk and so very, very loud. As a man he would have had to push his way through them, but as a ghostly spirit he simply phased through them the same as any other solid matter. It turned out it tickled to pass through people whether they walked through him or he walked through them, though he quickly learned to close his eyes as he did so, lest he gaze upon horrors not meant for mortal eyes when he saw them from the inside out. <br/><br/>For a few minutes he explored the range he could travel around Weiss, taking in the atmosphere. The conversation may be dull, but the drinks looked good. God, he missed drinking. He also missed cigars, for that matter. Hell, he’d have settled for most anything. After the day he’d had, he wouldn’t turn down any method of altering his consciousness. He wasn’t sure he’d been forced to endure an entire week of unbroken sobriety in his entire adult life!</p>
<p>It was while he was in this state- lamenting his mental clarity, pretending to dance with the occasional drunken debutante, and enjoying the smug sense of superiority that inevitably came from listening to the rich pretend they had any awareness about the world around them- that he realized he saw a face he recognized.<br/><br/>The older man was in the far corner of the room, where the drinks were being made. He had his back to Torchwick, but even from here he could recognize that white tailcoat… and that hair! Even back when Torchwick had seen him last he was already starting to lose his battle with the ravages of time, with the hair around the back of his neck long since having gone gray, leaving only the hair on the crown of his head displaying his original black shade. <br/><br/>“Well, now! If it isn’t my favorite babysitter. Fancy running into, oh!” Torchwick called out to the man, not particularly bothered by the fact that he couldn’t hear him. As he spoke he’d moved around to get a better look at the man. His eyes hadn’t deceived him! This truly was James Ironwood. Atlesian general, and his one-time jailer. More surprising than that, though, he was a wreck! His state was so surprising that Torchwick stopped mid-sentence to inspect him more closely.<br/><br/>The once clean-cut man’s chin was now dotted with stubble, and his bangs were allowed to hang slightly loose. Dark rings had come to circle his blue eyes, making them appear sunken in, and he was hunched over the bar with his head down. He had a line of four champagne glasses assembled before him, and he downed each in rapid succession, swallowing the last of them with an audible groan before looking thoughtfully at the table.<br/><br/>This was a sight! Maybe this party had some entertainment value after all. Torchwick threw back his head and laughed, sitting on the table beside the old general.<br/><br/>“Look at you! Y’know, when I saw you, I really hated that I still couldn’t touch anything. I wanted to... hmm... dump a drink on you maybe? Maybe pants you? Some simple prank one would expect from an incorporeal puckish rogue. Then I saw you, and man! Maybe it’s for the best that I can’t. I mean, what can I do to you that the universe isn’t already? You’re making my situation look fabulous, and- I hesitate to admit- my situation ain’t good!”</p>
<p>He sighed contentedly as Ironwood finally stood again and rejoined the party. It would be a stretch to say Torchwick ‘regretted’ his role in the attack on Vale. He certainly didn’t have any sort of humanitarian remorse for his role in it, even if he generally preferred to avoid killing when there wasn’t some monetary benefit to the act. Still, it was an incident that reminded him how helpless he was, and had he been given his own choice in the matter, he wouldn’t have participated in it.</p>
<p>...Seeing Ironwood like this did cheer him up, though. If the attack on Vale was what brought him to this, then at least there was a silver lining to the whole thing. He tried to be a ‘glass half-full’ kind of guy. <br/><br/>He didn’t have much longer to think about such things, though, as he heard a familiar voice erupt above the hazy noise of the party, so forceful and aggressive it caused much of the chatter to fall silent.<br/><br/>“Shut up!” He heard Weiss angrily roar. It sounded like she had finally cut herself free from the old walrus’ coat tails for a moment.<br/><br/>Torchwick clicked his tongue and smiled broadly. See? This is what happens when he takes a moment to savor some wholesome schadenfreude. He misses out on all the character development! He crossed the ballroom just in time to see Weiss standing in front of a large painting of Beacon academy. The victim of her wrath seemed to be one of the women in the crowd, though he was sad to see he’d missed what she’d said to trigger it. <br/><br/>“You don’t have a clue! None of you do! You’re all just standing around, talking about nothing. Worrying about your hair, your money, your stupid problems that don’t mean anything!”</p>
<p><br/><em>I had a feeling it was something like that… </em><em>Good ole Atlesians! </em>Thought Torchwick contentedly. <em>Crushing optimism with their myopic idiocy since the </em><em>days of </em><em>M</em><em>antle</em><em>. </em></p>
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<p>Weiss was presenting her anger more openly than he’d ever seen her do outside the privacy of her room. She was better at repressing her emotions than anyone he’d ever seen, so for her to be brought to this state must mean she truly did, on some level, have faith in these people. The realization of how deep her naivete went soured his good humor a little bit, as it threatened to conjure memories he’d just as soon keep forgotten, but empathy for her would require him to stop thinking about how this was advancing his own agenda.</p>
<p>...Perhaps that may sound terrible to a normal person, but Torchwick was firmly of the opinion that if <em>you</em> were Roman Torchwick, you’d also want to spend as much time as possible thinking about yourself.</p>
<p>The old walrus ran to try to get his daughter under control, grabbing her wrist and hissing for her to calm down. The sight of it conjured up one of the images Weiss had so rudely forced into Torchwick’s head earlier, causing him to close his eyes and wince in pain. By the time he opened his eyes again, Weiss was on the ground.</p>
<p>From the moment the after-party started until now, Weiss’ anger was cut with equal parts of disappointment and sadness… but now, the way her blue eyes narrowed, her face grew colder, and her trembling ceased made it clear that only the foremost of those emotions remained. She now radiated a fury so pure and intense that he was sure he’d be able to feel the endorphins vicariously even if they hadn’t been connected. <br/><br/>A glyph began to glow beside her, projecting energy outward that quickly took the shape of a large, pig-like Grim. A summon! A trick he knew she had, but hadn’t seen her do back at the manor. Maybe that was what he was, too? Was that how her semblance connected to that alternate world? Well, whatever! Where before he was lamenting his inability to drink, he now lamented his lack of a bag of popcorn. Even he hadn’t dared to anticipate a reaction this strong.</p>
<p>Without a moments hesitation Weiss allowed the beast to charge the offending woman, who could only offer stammering apologies in reply. This attack was a statement of intent so pure it took Torchwick’s breath away! She was the Ice Queen, after all: level-headed, and favoring precise and exact strikes to overwhelming force. Even when he fought their group he’d never seen her like this!</p>
<p>The beast charged forward, crossing two-thirds of the distance between Weiss and the woman before a shot rang out in the hall. The creature grunted, flying onto its side before vanishing into a miasma of dust as suddenly as it had appeared. On the other side of the group Ironwood stood, the smoking barrel of his revolver pointed toward the space where the creature had been charging.<br/><br/>“Arrest her! She’s crazy! She’s insane! She should be locked up!” The assailed woman rambled as she turned to her liberator, pointing desperately at Weiss. Seemed her remorse from before was already forgotten. <br/><br/>“She’s the only one making sense around here.” Spat Ironwood bitterly, returning his weapon to its holster. He didn’t seem interested in exploring the events any further, as he sullenly walked away, stopping only to turn toward Jacques and offer a cold “Thanks for the party.”</p>
<p><em>Heh, you’re so cool, Woodsie. </em>Torchwick rolled his eyes, though deep down he knew it was to his benefit that the old man had been there to stop that attack. <em>Shame you’re so beat-up, but it’s your own fault. You ‘straight-arrow’ types snap the fastest and the hardest… but don’t worry. I’ll see if I can’t save the little Ice Queen from turning out like you. <br/><br/></em>Weiss wasn’t too far behind Ironwood in storming out of the party, forcing Torchwick to hastily chase after her. As he watched her move, her head lowered now, and that pure anger replaced with a sort of sheepish confusion, he found himself wanting to say something. Anything. He’d wanted this experience to be a catalyst for convincing her to leave the manor, but had it been too traumatic? He tried to remember the threshold a normal person had for this kind of thing. Should he reassure her that things do get better?</p>
<p><em>I’m sorry, Snowflake. It hurts to be betrayed by people you thought were your own. I know exactly how that feels, but this was a good thing. Do you get it now? People don’t deserve your sacrifice for their protection. Can’t you see that this is how everyone is? Screw ‘em!<br/><br/></em>However, as the pair of them walked away, he remained silent. They walked down the entryway of the concert hall, stepping out into the cold autumn night, and only then did she finally turn to face him.<br/><br/>To his surprise, her gaze was firm as she looked him squarely in the eye, the emotional state she’d been in just moments before seeming to have vanished into smoke. Now her face was placid, showing nothing but a firm determination.<br/><br/>“We have to get out of here.” She said simply. The sound of her words erased all of his worries. He smiled broadly and closed his eyes. His hand found its way to his chest and he stepped forward, bowing melodramatically.<br/><br/>“Thy will be done, your frosty majesty.” He replied with sardonic glee.<em><br/></em><br/><br/></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Flee the Gilded Cage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss plots her escape, and weighs her options moving forward.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Weiss Schnee</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Weiss was experiencing a strange dream. Well, she called it a ‘dream’, but it felt more like a memory… and not one of her own. She was watching the world through Torchwick’s eyes, his thoughts and feelings flowing through her, despite being separate from her own. It was as surreal as it was terrifying, but she wasn’t lucid enough to escape from it, so the memory played in her mind like a video in a projector. <br/><br/>He was hiding out in Vale. He’d hit three of the largest dust stores in the country, and the heat from the police was closing in on him, but so far his victories had come so easily that he was starting to get cocky. The plan was to hit one more store, drain their supply, then flee to his safe harbor in Atlas to regroup. Easy day.<br/><br/>Of course, his gains so far hadn’t been entirely free. He’d made the mistake of taking on some dimwitted yokels as henchmen, and they kept getting themselves caught. Hell, he’d entrusted one of them with so much information that they promptly got him locked up for a while, too. It was sheer dumb luck that he’d had Neo hide the dust they’d collected just prior to his arrest!<br/><br/>Following his escape, he’d taken refuge in an abandoned office building within the Vale City slums, planning his revenge tour. The two-story unit was a pretty convenient setup to squat in, giving him enough space to house his few remaining goons while still having a private area upstairs to plot his devilish schemes. He had purchased a blueprint of the dust shop he was casing, and unfurled it over the dusty oak desk within his office, studying it intently.<br/><br/>When he heard the first scream of agony, followed by a loud<em> bang, </em>he paid it no mind. Probably a stupid quarrel between his men... again. Neo was surveying the streets around the building, so he had no reason to fear an outside attack.</p><p> </p><p>Harder to ignore, though, was the sound of footfalls heading up the stairs afterward. He finally looked up from his blueprints, and watched his doorknob tremble as someone attempted to turn it from the other side. After two more turns they abandoned the attempt and decided to try a different a different tactic: the white concrete wall beside the door began to glow an ominous orange, warping and melting into an enormous hole for his would-be trespasser to enter through.<br/><br/>The figure had a large black hood pulled over their face, with only the pale white point of their chin visible beneath the drawn fabric. The hood was connected to a cloak that swallowed their body in a blanket of ebony, concealing the position of their arms, though the curve of the form beneath it did at least hint that his intruder was female. <br/><br/>“Apologies for intruding upon your home through an entrance I created myself, but I do so despise locked doors.” Indeed, a feminine voice. Husky, bored, and dripping with patronizing contempt. She took a couple steps into the room, sliding a hand out from beneath her cloak and pulling back the hood. Raven hair spilled out into the open air, falling into a chest-length mass that rested over her left shoulder, allowing only a few rogue strands of her bangs to pull free. Her amber eyes were slanted like a cat eyeing a mouse, and she wore a smile as cold and condescending as her tone. “Roman Torchwick... A pleasure to finally meet you. You’re a hard man to find.”<br/><br/>Torchwick had no idea who she was, but Weiss did. She knew this woman well. Cinder Fall. The one who stole Beacon from her. <br/><br/>“That’s intentional, dear. In my experience nothing good comes from people who are out to find me.” Torchwick played cool, but Weiss could feel his panic. Sure his gang was diminished, but how did this woman slip through all of them so quickly? He opened his desk drawer, pulling free a cigar from the box he kept there and igniting it with the lighter in his pocket. His eyes met hers as he took a deep drag from it, then flicked his ashes onto the floor beside him. “You a buyer? Gotta say, your boundless enthusiasm is appreciated, but I’m afraid you’re too early. I’m not quite at the ‘sales’ phase of my operation yet.”<br/><br/>Cinder laughed. Sadistic amusement ringing in the sound as she took another step toward him. She extended her hand with her palm held upward, sparks erupting from her fingertips and igniting into a pillar of flame a foot high, which bathed her pale skin in golden light. <br/><br/>“A customer? You misunderstand. I’m your new boss. Congratulations, you’re going to help me create a new world.”<br/><br/>Torchwick sighed, reaching under his desk and gripping the curve of his cane-weapon: Melodic Cudgel. This wasn’t the first time someone had tried to muscle into his operation, but he couldn’t deny she was intimidating him. He studied her flame carefully, trying to determine her attack range. Was that her Semblance? Some people really did win the lottery with that crap. <br/><br/>“Not interested. I’m a man of much simpler ambitions. Feel free to shop around town for some other sucker, though... have you tried the academy? I’m sure a sales pitch like that would go over<em> great</em> with some naive kids.” He raised his free hand toward her, extending and retracting his fingers rapidly, in a dismissive motion. She took another step toward him. Half the distance between them was gone now. He instinctively jumped to his feet, his cane clutched firmly in his dominant hand, though his face did a good job of concealing his panic. <br/><br/>“I wasn’t asking, Roman. I was informing you of the role you’ll be playing from now on. Assuming you value your life, anyway.” She stopped her advance, her smile growing wider. Seemed the cat was too confident to feel the need to pounce first. <br/><br/>“I see, a negotiations breakdown. Tragic.” Torchwick shrugged, taking another long drag of his cigar. He was still playing the role of a confident mob boss. He didn’t want to initiate a fight with someone whose powers he didn’t know, but maybe he wouldn’t have to.He had to stay calm; everything would be fine if he couldjust buy Neo time to get back. “Tell you what, why don’t I put you in touch with my customer complaints department?”</p><p> </p><p>Cinder seemed to find this amusing, as she closed her eyes and shook her head with a chuckle.<br/><br/>“No need for that. We’ve met.” She looked over her shoulder toward the hole in the wall she’d made. “Mercury, if you’d be so kind?”<br/><br/>On his cue, a young man with short silver hair and a bitter expression stepped into the room, carrying what looked like a mannequin over his shoulder. Behind him traveled another person: a green haired, dark skinned girl who looked uncomfortable to be here at all. Neither of them looked old enough to be skipping school, yet here they were, invading his office without a care in the world. <br/><br/><em>Mercury and Emerald… </em>Once again Torchwick didn’t have any knowledge of who they were, but Weiss felt an angry frustration at the sight of them.<br/><br/>The boy named Mercury sighed heavily, letting the mannequin hanging over his shoulder fall into his arms before tossing it onto the ground in the middle of the room. It was only then that Torchwick realized it wasn’t a mannequin at all, but a person… and one he recognized. <br/><br/>“Neo!” He shouted, his cigar falling from his lips to the floor. He immediately forgot about both maintaining his bravado and the danger he was in as he ran over to his downed comrade.</p><p> </p><p>She was lying in a heap on the ground, barely conscious. As he knelt down beside her he could see that her arms had been bound behind her back with wire, and her ankles had been tied together. When she heard him call her name she stirred a bit, eyes fluttering open just enough to meet his gaze. She attempted to offer him a reassuring smile, but even doing this much pained her, so he shook his head. She didn’t need to be worried about him in this situation.<br/><br/>She was hurt bad. The area around her right eye was bruised, and much of her body was covered with swollen welts. It seemed she’d been stricken repeatedly by something blunt, likely punches or kicks, but at least she hadn’t been attacked with a more dangerous weapon. Torchwick gritted his teeth, looking from his partner up to the three intruders. He didn’t buy for a second that two underage brats and a wannabe witch could have beaten Neo in a fair fight. They must have used some kind of trick.</p><p> </p><p>Not that it mattered now.<br/><br/>“Goodness, but your confidence melted away so quickly, Roman!” Cinder’s smile was, by now, so wide that it threatened to split her face in two. She was taking so much pleasure from this sadistic display of power that it almost seemed to be sexually gratifying. Torchwick’s survival instinct told him to avoid acting rashly, even as his temper urged him to attack. He looked down at his injured partner, weighing his options.<br/><br/>When he looked up at her again, Cinder was glowering down at him with that same condescending grin on her face. If before she was a cat cornering a mouse, now she was a cat who had chewed one of that mouse’s legs off... amusing herself by watching it attempt to struggle away. <br/><br/>“Isn’t this how you operate? Let a woman handle all the fighting while you hang back and make cute one-liners?” She walked over to him, kneeling down and putting a hand on his shoulder. “Well, don’t let me change that! Go ahead, Roman. Say something cute.”<br/><br/>Torchwick did such a good job of hiding his emotions behind a charismatic facade that Weiss had previously doubted he was capable of strong emotion at all. Experiencing this memory was changing that... His eyes went from Neo, to Mercury, to Emerald, to Cinder, and back again, his mind filling with a murderous fury so intense that Weiss feared she may be swept away in it even through her dream. What had before been a cautious disinterest in the trio was now a genuine hatred.<br/><br/>Still… what could he do!? Fight them? Perhaps he could run away? They didn’t know where the airship was docked, surely. If he could get there they could grab all the dust they’d gathered and escape. Screw this last plan. If he never saw Vale again after this it would be too soon. <br/><br/>Except, he couldn’t fight or run! He couldn’t fight off all three of them while simultaneously protecting Neo, and he couldn’t outrun them while carrying her. Neo herself seemed to sense the situation she’d put them in, and hung her head in shame. Cinder continued to look down on him with that malevolent grin, and he felt utterly trapped… though Weiss was surprised to note that he didn’t entertain the thought of abandoning Neo to escape for even a moment. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t blame yourself, Neo. This ain’t on you. I let myself forget what a rotten world we live in<em>.” </em>He whispered sullenly, attempting to reassure his wounded comrade.</p><p><br/>He went silent for a moment, drawing a long breath in through his nose to avoid acting on his rage and getting himself killed. After a while he forced his way onto his feet, looking Cinder in the eye.<br/><br/>“You just wiped out my gang. If you want me to do this, I’m gonna need more people.” He said in his most businesslike tone.<br/><br/>***</p><p> </p><p>Weiss groaned, rolling her forehead against her pillow. It didn’t feel as soft as she remembered. Kind of bony...<br/><br/>...Wait, what? She opened her eyes to discover that she had fallen asleep while seated at a desk, with her head resting against her forearms. Ugh, that explained why both her arms and her legs had gone numb! She stood up, stomping her tingling feet against the cold stone floor in an effort to hasten their re-circulation, and looked around. <br/><br/>That’s right, she was in the library! The musty smell of old books had always been weirdly comforting to her, and given that she’d been sleeping less and less lately, it only made sense she would doze off while she was here. She had been pretending to read a book-- seated at a desk in the far corner of the room, where the taller shelves secluded her from her captors’ eyes, and where she could speak to Torchwick without them hearing her.<br/><br/><em>Her captors… </em>She felt her shoulders sag. Carefully, she walked over to the edge of the bookshelf she was hidden behind, peeking her head around it to check the front of the library. The three family guards who had accompanied her were still there- two in front of the entrance and one in front of the window along the far wall- making sure she wouldn’t be able to move toward either without them seeing her. One of them caught a glimpse of her as she looked around, but she ignored him with a sigh, pulling her head back and returning to the desk. <br/><br/>She had anticipated that her behavior at the concert would damage her relationship with her father, but even she couldn’t have predicted the extent of that damage. In the days that followed, so much about her life had changed. Berated, disinherited, even stricken. She refused to believe she’d done anything wrong... she hadn’t said anything she didn’t mean, nor had she intended to attack that vapid, terrible woman, but the incident seemed to give her family the excuse it had always been looking for to tear her down.<br/><br/>Thus here she was. Where before her home being her prison was merely implication, it was now a deliberate reality. The servants were forbidden to speak to her, she couldn’t go anywhere outside her room without escort, and she was no longer even allowed to enter the courtyard, much less leave the manor. Where before the guards would gaze into her room to make sure she was still there, they now had leave to enter it to confirm her presence. Privacy and freedom, even in the limited capacity she’d known them before, were a distant memory.<br/><br/>In a way, it was a relief to finally have this last tie with her father severed. Finally confirming that he lacked the slightest shred of affection for her did help to steel her resolve for her coming escape, and her little brother revealing his true colors at least meant he was no longer playing at caring about her. However, there was a sadness to it as well. Her childhood had been miserable, but it was still hers. Knowing that she was ending that chapter of her life gnawed at her stomach more than she expected.</p><p> </p><p>Sentiment like that wasn’t going to stop her anymore, though. 10 days had passed since her father slapped her, and each of those days had been spent training and plotting. Once she was free from this place she would be a huntress first and forever, so she couldn’t afford any rust on her skills.Her body’s rhythm and physical edge had begun to return, and she’d even managed to strengthen her summoning… perhaps that meant her will had gotten stronger, too?<br/><br/>As for ‘plotting’, she’d also made a concerted effort to make sure she fully understood what Torchwick was capable of in his current form. Following the concert, she felt a strange kinship with him… not ‘trust’, really, but at the very least camaraderie. Both of them wanted to leave this place from the bottom of their hearts, so for now she could depend on him. She would have him be her secret weapon in this great escape!<br/><br/>What she learned about him was close to what she’d already guessed, but still interesting: his range of movement around her really was 30 feet. He could move this distance in any direction around her, including above and below her. If he was already standing at his furthest distance from her, and she moved further away, he would be dragged along in her direction by an invisible force.</p><p> </p><p>Interacting with the world was still limited, though she’d hoped she would be able to find a use for it. He couldn’t touch objects with his hands or arms at all. His back and shoulders could lean against objects, provided he approached them backwards, but his chest and stomach still couldn’t. He did at least have full control over his legs, though. He could freely stand, walk, kneel, or sit on any object he so chose.</p><p> </p><p>…He didn’t exactly enjoy the experiments she had him undertake so she could learn all this, but he took it with only a moderate number of complaints. It was for the sake of leaving, after all.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>As if recognizing he was being thought of, Torchwick poked his head through the wall in front of her. Weiss looked about one last time, making sure the guards hadn’t come any closer, and then waved him close.<br/><br/>“Your plan worked, though I can’t vouch for my handwriting. Well, ‘footwriting’, as it were.” Torchwick grumbled, sitting on the desk in front of her. He crossed his arms and looked down at his boots. “I’ll have to charge you for drycleaning if my outfit ever gets scuffed up by all this horseplay.”</p><p><br/>Weiss had asked Torchwick to scratch a message into the courtyard soil for Klein. She hadn’t been sure he could write legibly with his foot, or how she could make sure Klein saw it before one of the guards, but it sounded like everything had worked out.</p><p><br/>“Good luck with that. I’ve been disinherited, so I can’t even afford my own cleaning at the moment.” Weiss gave him a bemused stare and shook her head. “Did he see it?” Torchwick grinned at her in reply, flashing a thumbs up.<br/><br/>“Have a little confidence in me! I waited around just to make sure. Ole Waddlesworth was mystified by the message, but he believed it. Seems excited to help out, too. I think we can count on his support tonight.”<br/><br/>“His name is Klein.” She corrected grumpily, honestly more upset with herself than with him. She had wanted to arrange this breakout without leaning on Klein’s help. She knew her father, and she knew that once she was gone the family butler would be the first person he blamed. Unfortunately, while she could use Torchwick for most of her plan, she didn’t have any other way of dealing with the locked doors she would face. <br/><br/>“Right, right, well, whatever we want to call him, he’s on board! It’s looking like we’ll be able to pull this off with no difficulty… though, I admit, as many times as I’ve heard you explain your plan, I’m struggling to recall you ever mentioning where you wanted to go.”<br/><br/>Weiss leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Yeah, that was something that she needed to work out. Her money and supplies would be limited once she left, so she couldn’t afford to waste too much time wandering aimlessly. Obviously, her ideal destination would be wherever the rest of her team was, but she had no leads on that front. Beacon was gone, and her sheltered upbringing had left her with precious few contacts outside Atlas. There was only one person she could think of.<br/><br/>“I need to find my sister. I know she’ll help me.” She opened her eyes and rested her cheek on her palm, looking thoughtfully toward the wall Torchwick had come in through. Winter was the last member of her family she felt she still had a connection with, and Weiss had always admired her. If she managed to reunite with her, she could see if Winter had any intel on her friends, learn what had changed in the world while she was trapped here, and get her advice... both regarding her father and her pet ghost. <br/><br/>“Spending time with Winter Schnee sounds aggressively un-fun,” Torchwick let out a melodramatic sigh, and reached for the air above his head- where his hat had rested in another life- frowning as he was once again reminded of its absence, “but I’m more than happy to follow your lead. Literally anywhere that isn’t here is an improvement.”<br/><br/>“No whining. I told you from the start I wanted talk to her.” Weiss chided, before lamenting, “Still, she could be anywhere, too. I wish I could get in contact with General Ironwood. He’d know where she was.”</p><p> </p><p>“Indeed he would! Funny thing about that: Woodsie and the Walrus are thick as thieves. They meet up weekly to discuss political affairs. Could it be that he’s mentioned your sister’s location?” Torchwick paused for effect, touching his finger to his chin, “Who could know? If only there existed a person who could walk through walls! Someone only you could see or hear, and who happened to owe you a huge favor! Alas, to my knowledge, no such person exists.”<br/><br/>“Smartass.” She said with a grin, “Does that mean you heard something?” Torchwick gasped in feigned shock.<br/><br/>“A swear!” He exclaimed, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. “I think I may finally be rubbing off on you. You keep making me proud!”<br/><br/>Her blue gaze met his green, and she did her best to convey the same lack of amusement she often did when he said things like that. It was true she wasn’t usually one to use such words. Her thoughts fell back to the dream she’d just had… to how it felt to see the world through his eyes. Was he having an effect on her? If so, she wished she could borrow some of that endless confidence, at least.<br/><br/>“It sounds like she’s in Mistral, at the moment.” Torchwick, for his part, could see that now wasn’t a time for teasing, so with a chuckle and a nod he returned to the discussion at hand. “I’ll give ya that ‘in Mistral’ is one hell of a vague clue, but it’s all he offered.”<br/><br/>Weiss felt her heart race, rising to her feet as she was suddenly too excited to sit. Despite all the work she was putting into planning her escape, a part of her couldn’t help but feel like it was too vague-- an impossible dream. Having a destination helped make everything feel a bit more concrete to her. She was the kind of person who preferred careful planning to flying by the seat of her pants… unlike some friends she could name.<br/><br/>“It’s more than enough!” She declared, louder than she’d intended to. She groaned at her carelessness. Again she checked on her escorts, making sure she hadn’t accidentally alerted them, and when she confirmed they weren’t coming she turned back and continued. “At least it gives us a direction, we’ll just have to track down the Atlesian military once we arrive.”<br/><br/>“A pretty abstract plan! Should leave you with plenty of details to worry about as we go. I know how much you love worrying.” His way of teasing her was so easy and familiar now that she almost found it endearing.<br/><br/>“Well, it’s the best I can do. If I didn’t make a move until I knew every detail of what I wanted, I’d be here until I was an old lady… and I’m as tired of being here as you are!”<br/><br/>“You’re cute when you’re driven! What’s your plan once we get off the property, though? We can’t exactly walk to Mistral.”<br/><br/>“That’ll be the easy part,” She said, nodding her head and beaming with confidence. “I have a favor I can call in to get into the air.”<br/><br/>She went over all the details in her head one final time, and turned to leave the library. Things were as planned out as she could get them; all that remained for her was to execute.<br/><br/></p><p>“Let’s go get everything ready. We have to be ready to go by the time Klein comes.” She whispered as they rounded the shelves toward the front of the library.<br/><br/>“I’ll give as much help with the packing as much as I can.” Torchwick replied, “Which is to say: I will watch with interest.”<br/><br/>***</p><p> </p><p>Weiss sat on her bed, staring down at the sheathed Myrtenaster in her lap. She thoughtfully drew a fingertip along its crossguard, and took one deep breath, followed by another. Her anticipation had become so intense that it was almost a drug, sending waves of adrenaline up and down her spine that both thrilled and terrified her. It was finally time to leave! She didn’t know what awaited her once she’d left, but at least it would be a future she chose for herself. <br/><br/>She stood, inhaling deeply one final time before slowly releasing the air and looking around. The look of her room. The smell of her room. They weren’t details she’d ever thought to pay much attention to, but for some reason they struck her now. This space had been her sanctuary for almost two decades, and when she left it behind tonight she had to brace herself for the very real possibility that she would never see it again. <br/><br/>This thought added a wistfulness to her anxious energy, which brought fear along with it. What she was about to do was rebellion on a scale she’d never dared to entertain before. Whatever else she’d done in the past, even leaving home to attend Beacon, she’d done with her father at least accepting it, however belatedly or begrudgingly. This was different: she wasn’t just sneaking across the familial bridge, she was burning it behind her. <br/><br/>Would everything really be okay? Could she survive on her own? Negative thoughts began to poison that well of energy rushing through her, transforming it from anticipation to anxiety, and she shivered. When push came to shove, why did she always doubt herself?<br/><br/>“Don’t let the butterflies gang up on you now...” Torchwick’s voice came from behind her. He placed his hand on her shoulder… well, he couldn’t actually place his hand on her shoulder, so he had to settle for simply holding his hand in place above it, but the intent behind the gesture was clear, and she did appreciate the thought. “Your performance is about to start.”<br/><br/>Weiss looked back at him and nodded, a solemn expression on her face. She resumed her deep breathing exercises and tucked her scabbard into her sash. Yeah. This was just another concert. She hadn’t bombed a performance in her entire life, and she wasn’t going to start now. The thought comforted her a bit, and to prevent nerves from resurfacing she distracted herself by going over the small collection of belongings she would be able to take with her. <br/><br/>A few minutes later, there was a soft knock upon her door. <br/><br/>“Ms. Schnee, are you ready?” Klein’s whisper was hesitant, and she could hear the worry in his voice even with him trying to keep quiet. <br/><br/>“Yeah… as ready as I’ll ever be.” She affirmed. There was the click of tumblers turning in the lock, and her bedroom door was thrown open. The portly butler stood in the doorway, stepping aside for her to enter the hall.<br/><br/>“I got your message. I have no idea how you left it, but I knew it was real.” He said in a contented tone. “I knew this day was coming. Frankly, that you were able to endure that old windbag for this long is a testament to your strength.” <br/><br/>“I suppose...” Weiss looked down and frowned a bit, her guilt renewed for all the trouble she was causing him. Sensing her distress, the older man took one of her hands in his and brushed the back of it gently.<br/><br/>“That’s no face to be making, now! This is a happy day. For all of us.” He nodded, as if agreeing with himself, and smiled warmly. “Now, then! I can get you out the front door, but we must keep quiet. I won’t have an excuse for the guards if they find us.”<br/><br/>“Don’t worry. I can’t explain the details, but I have our way forward covered. We just need to keep an eye behind us as we go.” As she talked, she turned toward Torchwick and gave him a meaningful stare. The ghostly apparition cracked his neck in response.<br/><br/>“Roman’s time to shine! Let’s get you out of here, Ice Queen.” He said in a sing-song tone. If only he was this eager all the time!<br/><br/>The party moved through the house slowly and methodically. Torchwick took the lead, peering around corners and checking any rooms they crossed for guards. Weiss and Klein followed ten yards behind him, keeping their heads on swivels and hiding whenever Roman warned them. At this steady pace they moved through the halls toward the front door, and then across the lawn to the front gate. <br/><br/>When the cold air of the outside world kissed her skin for the first time in days, Weiss wanted to stop and savor it. In this moment all her fears and self doubt melted away, and she knew only the euphoria of hard-fought freedom. Still, she forced herself to keep moving. The second they were outside the family property she broke into a sprint, and ran as hard as she could.<br/><br/>Only after the manor had shrunk and vanished into the darkness of the night behind her did she finally come to a stop. Her heart was racing, her side stitched from running at full speed for the first time in ages, but even that pain felt good to her right now. It just felt so good to be alive!</p><p> </p><p>“I s-suppose this is… this is where we must part ways.” Klein laboriously gasped. As soon as Weiss stopped running, her poor butler threw his upper body forward, resting his palms on his knees as he gasped for breath. Seemed matching her pace had pushed him pretty hard.<br/><br/>“Klein...” She knew he would chastise her for frowning again, but being reminded of their parting was the first thing to deflate the high of her escape since she’d left the house.<br/><br/>“Ms. Schnee, I’ve watched you children grow for all your lives, so I know what I’m talking about when I say this: Not one of your siblings has as much potential as you do. Not that lickspittle Whitley, not even Winter. Watching you grow into your own woman has been the privilege of my life, and I cannot wait to see what you become now that you’re finally free.”<br/><br/>Weiss felt the back of her eyes grow heavy, and moonlight was beginning to reflect off the growing wetness before her pupils. She didn’t bother trying to restrain her tears; she let them flow freely as she opened her arms and embraced the man. <br/><br/>“Thank you. Thank you for everything… and I am so, so sorry.” She cried against his shoulder. As a family servant, he may have been powerless before the wishes of her father, but Klein had never wavered in his support of her. He was her one ally in a cold home, and the only part of her old life she mourned leaving behind. <br/><br/>“You’ve never done anything that would require my forgiveness.” His voice broke as he spoke, stray tears beginning to escape from his own eyes as his semblance made them glow a deep blue. “Now go on! Don’t let your memories of this place become a chain that drags you down. You’re making your own decisions now, so never compromise on what you feel is right. Believe me, by the time you’re as old as I am, you’ll be glad to have avoided all those regrets.”<br/><br/>Weiss nodded, biting her lip in an effort to bring her tears back under control. They held their embrace a few moments longer, pulled away, and with a final smile turned their separate ways. As she walked down the street toward the air station, part of her wanted to look back one last time, but she decided against it. <br/><br/>He was right. She was here now because she chose to be, and as painful as that goodbye had been, there were other people she needed to see. Other things she needed to do. She slapped her cheeks and shook her head, relieved to find that the peace of heart that always followed a good cry was mixing well with her happiness from earlier.<br/><br/>Torchwick had remained silent as she and Klein said their farewells… it seemed even he could be considerate, from time to time. Now that they were alone together he finally spoke, though even his words were devoid of their usual bite and detachment.<br/><br/>“Y’know? He seemed like a pretty cool old guy.” He said simply. He looked like he was lost in thought, and his gaze was cast far downfield.<br/><br/>“Yeah,” She agreed, drawing the back of her arm across her face to mop up the last of her tears, “I had a pretty great dad.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So ends the first story arc of “The Frozen Flame”.  This is the point where events of the story will shift quite radically from the show.  Time will tell whether my narrative ambition will outstrip my meager talent as a writer, but I’m looking forward to the attempt either way.</p><p>Once again, I offer my thanks to the audience I’ve somehow managed to attract.  When I outlined the story, I figured, realistically, I’d only get 2-3 chapters in before the lack of traffic and feedback killed my enthusiasm and I dropped it.  That I’ve managed this humble amount of success blows my mind!  I’m glad you all found something to like in this crack het ship that I took entirely too seriously, and I’ll endeavor to keep it worth the time you spend reading it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. A Huntsman's Duty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The price of Torchwick's return begins to make itself known.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong><b>Roman Torchwick</b></strong><strong><br/></strong><br/>“...Although they decided that Ruby should be the leader of the team, instead.” Weiss said, a bit of indignation coloring her voice. She and Torchwick were seated in a private cabin at the very back of the airship, cut off from the observation deck by a thin wooden door. They were the only people on the craft, so the extra privacy wasn’t exactly necessary, but Torchwick wasn’t about to complain. This was the last time he would technically be connected to a rich girl, so he may as well enjoy one final taste of the privileged life.</p>
<p>Inside the cabin were two gray, padded benches arranged on either side of a window that took up most of the outer wall, showing the jutting mountainscape that consumed the land beneath them and the ethereal blue of the sky above. Weiss had taken a seat on the far bench, beside the window, so Torchwick took the seat across from her, and propped his legs up on the small table between them.<br/><br/>“Heh, bet that pissed you off.” Roman replied, leaning back against his seat and staring out the window. She’d started talking about her experience at Beacon almost as soon as they were in the air, apropos of nothing. For all her bravado, her great escape had made her a lot more nervous than she was willing to admit. If he had to guess, once it had succeeded, all those nerves vanished at once, and left her feeling a little gabby. That was fair enough. It wasn’t like they had anything better to do while they were in the air.<br/><br/>“It was a decision I had… strong opinions about, I confess.” Weiss admitted, turning the corner of her mouth down and scrunching her nose. “Ruby can be impulsive. And reckless. And loud. And surprisingly dumb when she wants to be. Even then, there is something about her. She really does bring our team together in a way no one else could.”<br/><br/>“Little Red is certainly a person who exists, yes.” He replied dryly. That was about all he could say about her that wouldn’t be seething in contempt, and it was probably for the good of his partnership with the Ice Queen that he not badmouth the friends she was gushing about. <br/><br/>“Well, once we got that unpleasantness behind us, we were a great team! Not just in battle, but in everything. The four of us seemed to complete each other. When I was with them, I realized I’d never actually felt ‘happy’ before, you know?” She rested her her forehead against the glass of the window and gazed into the early morning twilight. “I really miss them. I hope they’re okay.”<br/><br/>Torchwick relaxed a bit, allowing his back to sink into the plush padding of his seat. There hadn’t been any structure to the order in which Weiss told him about her life in Beacon. She’d jumped around from describing the campus, to the faculty, to her classmates. None of it was information he was <em>dying</em> to learn, but it was clear she enjoyed the reminiscing, and it was a unique experience to learn about the daily lives of a group who had been such an enormous pain in his ass for so long.</p>
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<p>He winced as he remembered the images he’d seen during her concert. He had tried not to think about that incident, ever since it’d happened, but it was always in the back of his mind. Every time he looked at her he saw those images and remembered those feelings. That loneliness was so… familiar.<br/><br/>“I swear, Little Red is half-cockroach. I’m not sure there’s a force in the universe that could put her down. Kitty Cat and the Blonde Berserker, I’m less familiar with, but eh, I’m sure they’re all fine. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that you brats will always be around, trying to save a world that doesn’t deserve it.”<br/><br/>“You really do have a nickname for everyone, don’t you?” She looked over and flashed him a small smile. “… but thanks for trying to reassure me. You’ve really been on your best behavior lately.”<br/><br/>Huh! Come to think of it he did. Nicknaming people came so naturally to him that he’d stopped giving it any special thought a long time ago. <br/><br/>“What’s life without a little whimsy, I guess?” He said with a shrug. “I still maintain that anyone will betray anyone else, if the situation is bad enough, but if you care about your friends then I care about them, too. Remember, while we’re connected, transitive property, and whatnot.”<br/><br/>“Anyone will betray anyone else, huh?” To his surprise, something about his words seemed to bother her. She frowned a bit, scratching her cheek. “Hey, Torchwick?”<br/><br/>“Why the long face?” He leaned forward, perplexed by her sudden mood shift. They’d been together for almost a month at this point, it wasn’t like she’d never heard him say something cynical before. <br/><br/>“Can I ask you something? About the day you met Cinder?” She hesitated, as if debating whether she wanted to advance the subject or not. Her question just made him more confused.<br/><br/>“The Witch? What about her? Not sure she deserves this heavy atmosphere.” Had they discussed her before? Ever since his arrival, they’d been so caught up in the immediate emergencies of Weiss’ concert and her escape, they hadn’t had much time to discuss the events of the attack on Vale. Even if they had, it would be a weird thing to bring up in the middle of such a lighthearted conversation.<br/><br/>Weiss rocked her head from side to side, as if debating an invisible opponent, before finally speaking again.<br/><br/>“No, you’re right. Never mind. I’m just overthinking a dream I had.”<br/><br/>Torchwick perked his ears. After the experiences he’d had, he knew there was something going on with their connection. Was it possible that he was sharing his memories with her in the same way she had with him? If so, he would need to figure out how to put a stop to that… the idea of anyone-- much less one of Little Red’s merry band-- getting a front row seat to his past memories made him deeply uncomfortable. <br/><br/>“Now I’m curious! Go ahea-” He was about to coax her to continue when violent turbulence shook the cabin. There was a sickening <em>thud</em> as Weiss’ forehead suddenly slammed against the glass it had been resting on, eliciting a cry of pain from her as the pair of them were rocked by the sudden force. Without thinking, Torchwick leaped up to try to steady her, turning around and using his knees to grip the table between them so that, when she was finally thrown forward, she fell into his back instead of the ground.<br/><br/>“Are you alright, Snowflake?” He called out. The direction of the craft had shifted, slanting diagonally as it began to pull upward. <em>What </em><em>is</em><em> this idiot pilot doing!? This is a commercial passenger craft. It’s not designed for high altitudes. </em> <br/><br/>“I’m fine. It was more surprising than anything.” She said, though she was still nursing the left side of her face with her hand. As the shaking subsided for a moment he could feel her calming down... Enough so that it finally dawned on her that she was resting against him, and she pulled away with an awkward gasp. <br/><br/>“We’re climbing. We really shouldn’t be doing that, unless our pilot harbors a deep and unrequited pining for the ground, anyway. I think something bad is going down.” <br/><br/>“Are we under attack?” She asked, a note of worry in her voice. Torchwick threw up his arms and gave an exagerated shrug. <br/><br/>“We’re in the cabin of a craft that just experienced violent turbulence, and is currently pulling itself upward, that is the extent of my knowledge, presently. Shall we go investigate?”<br/><br/>Weiss gave him a nod, and he let her take the lead as they headed across the abandoned viewing deck and toward the cockpit. The entire far wall of the viewing deck space was made of transparent glass, and through that they finally caught a glimpse of what might have been the cause of their troubles: a group of Griffons… a flying breed of Grimm that Torchwick was (uncomfortably) familiar with. He could see five of them in total, flapping their wings violently to maintain their positions. They were keeping pace with the craft, matching any changes the pilot made to direction or elevation, but otherwise holding steady. <br/><br/>“Strange...” Weiss mused thoughtfully, staring at the creatures for a moment before suddenly breaking into a sprint toward the cockpit. She was the huntress, after all. If she said this was unusual, Torchwick was inclined to believe her.<br/><br/>The pair of them made it to the small door that separated the crew section from the public spaces, ignoring the posted sign that warned against trespassing as Weiss forced it open by slamming her shoulder against it.</p>
<p><br/>“What’s going on?” She demanded of the pilot as soon they had broken through, though in truth she could have spared herself the question had she simply looked around first.<br/><br/>The Griffons they’d already seen were part of a group at least fifteen strong, who dotted the sky around the ship, visibly holding their positions on the other side of the cockpit’s forward windscreen. The pilot was focused on the controls, jerking the vessel to and fro in his efforts to escape the siege, though when they entered the cockpit he shouted back an acknowledgment.<br/><br/>“You guys...” He was a middle-aged, heavyset man with a mellow voice, though that was about all Torchwick could tell about him. His body was covered by a denim jumpsuit, his eyes were shielded from the glare of the snow by shaded goggles, and his head was protected by a leather helmet. “Sorry, a little busy at the moment.”<br/><br/>“When did this start?” Weiss asked. It was clearly hard for her to stand upright with the ship changing directions so violently, so she awkwardly lurched herself up to the front of the cockpit and sat down in the co-pilot chair, strapping herself in. Torchwick wasn’t having the easiest time staying upright himself, but at the very least he didn’t have to worry about banging his head on anything, so he contented himself to stand behind them and rest his back against the side of her chair. <br/><br/>“No idea. They just came outta nowhere as we entered the mountain range. At first they just hovered around us, so I hoped maybe we could pass without trouble.” The pilot explained, not taking his hands off the helm or his eyes away from the windscreen. “But then one of the bastards slammed himself into one of the sub-engines. Did it deliberately! I’ve never seen a Grimm behave like that. Just killed himself to take it out. They tried doing that to the others, too, so I had to start getting rough.”<br/><br/>Torchwick leaned back and furrowed his brow. His understanding of Atlesian aircraft was fairly comprehensive… a relic from the life of a younger Roman Torchwick who died long ago. <br/><br/>These new-ish Atlanetan airships had fairly sleek designs: A narrow front that swelled into a wider middle for the transport of goods and people, and then a rear compartment made up of four flipper-like wings and the engine system. They had four engines, one primary and three subs, with the sub engines existing primarily to ease the strain mobility and dust consumption placed on the main engine. A craft wouldn’t need to fear crashing if it lost a sub engine, or even if it lost all three, but that would put the main engine at serious risk of overheating and stalling out, so the pilot would need to look into an emergency landing.<br/><br/>The primary engine isn’t any better protected than the others, though, and poses a much greater danger for the ship if it’s destroyed. If the grim here are smart enough to want to make them crash, they could have just taken that out. If the Grim wanted to eat them, then why weren’t they trying to smash through the glass of the windscreen? They could clearly see them.<br/><br/>He pondered for a few moments.<br/><br/>“Are they trying to force us to land?” He asked, not realizing he’d said it out loud. The question caught Weiss by surprise, who looked back at him and shook her head.<br/><br/>“They shouldn’t be that intelligent. Something is wrong here, though. I’ve never seen Grimm behave like this-- and I’m not sure this species should even be here.” She replied. Oh right, they were still in Atlas. The climate and topography were natural shields that protected the people here from most types of Grimm.<br/><br/>“Smart enough to fly into an engine and die?” The pilot’s response was justly confused, given he was only party to half the conversation. “Either way, I’m just glad they haven’t bull-rushed the cockpit. I’m going to have to put us down somewhere, though. Be ready for a fight if they swarm us on the ground.”<br/><br/>“Put us down?” Weiss repeated with a thoughtful frown. Her disappointment was clear. They had a long way to go, and had barely even begun their journey. <br/><br/>“There are settlements all around the mountains here. We have to stop in at one of them and run some maintenance. I can make the trip even if the engine is shot, but if I don’t put out the fire and clear the debris, it could cause us some trouble… and that’s not a good thing when you’re crossing the ocean.”<br/><br/>The Grim suddenly broke their calm pattern and began to zig and zag like angry hornets about the craft. Another wave of turbulence rocked the ship and sent tremors across the cockpit. The pilot and Weiss were thrown back and forth against their harnesses. Torchwick, significantly less secured than the other two, found himself violently thrust to the side. He impotently groped for the back of Weiss’ chair to steady himself, forgetting for a moment that his hands were purely decorative at this point, and fell to the ground with a <em>thunk</em>.<br/><br/>Seemed another engine got taken out...<br/><br/>The pilot was already angling the airship downward again, navigating the mountain peaks as he searched for one of the settlements he spoke of. <br/><br/><br/></p>
<p>“But if we land in the settlement, won’t we be leading the Grim right to the people there?” Weiss protested. Ever like a huntsman to worry about other people while in danger of falling out of the sky.</p>
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<p>“Maybe it’s escaped your notice, Snowflake, but there’s a damned swarm of them outside. You really think any humans are safe right now, even if we stay in the air? Just brace for combat when we land.” Perhaps it was the fact he had… experience with this particular species, but he was feeling more anxious than he normally allowed himself to express. As they made their landing, though, he quickly learned that he needn’t have been so worried.</p>
<p><br/>***<br/><br/>A crowd had already gathered around them before they’d even left the airship. They’d put themselves down in a broad, snowy clearing directly adjacent to the village, close enough to gain aid without too much difficulty, but far enough afield to prevent any debris they kicked up from doing damage to the buildings.</p>
<p>Weiss had thrown herself out onto the fore-deck as soon as the ship had ceased movement, poised for battle with a hand at the hilt of her sword, but there was no need. Their antagonists had vanished at some point while they were in the process of making their landing...as suddenly as they’d appeared.<br/><br/>Torchwick sensed danger, but didn’t feel like he was particularly clever for doing so. Nothing about that had been typical of how the Grimm behaved… even someone as clueless as himself could tell that. Perhaps more pressingly, the people around here worried him, too. They’d gathered up awfully fast considering the Grimm were everywhere just moments earlier, though he was so naturally guarded and suspicious of others that he couldn’t be sure how reasonable his fears were.<br/><br/>About fifty of them had gathered around after the airship landed. Looking over them, it seemed the village was primarily made up of faunus. Wolves, foxes, a few possessing vaguely reptilian features that Torchwick couldn’t identify exactly. There were a few humans spread among them as well, but it was clear they were the exception, rather than the rule. <br/><br/>Weiss had been braced for battle, but with no enemy to fight, she relaxed her stance a bit, letting her hands fall away. As she walked toward the crowd she stopped suddenly, either due to a discomfort with them or due to not knowing who specifically to address. Fortunately for her, as she approached them, one of their number broke away from the rest and began to walk toward her.<br/><br/>“Seems you’ve had a rough morning, stranger.” The older man called out to Weiss in a deep, stern voice. He was a cervine faunus, tan-skinned and muscular, with long, flat ears that extended outward from the sides of his head. He stood well over seven feet high, not counting the antlers sprouting above his head, which added two feet more, and his body was three-fourths as broad as Weiss was tall. His arms were crossed, and he wore an even expression that refused to give the slightest clue as to what he was really thinking. <br/><br/>Weiss hesitated a moment, looking like she had to resist the urge to shrink away from his intimidating stature, but then bowed her head apologetically. <br/><br/>“I’m sorry for the disturbance, but it was an emergency. I’m just glad the Grimm dispersed.”<br/><br/>“Now, now, no need to worry about that! We’re just glad no one was hurt. The Grimm won’t attack us here. ‘Tis part of the deal we made.” The words were friendly, and he made an effort to smile, though the uncanny way his lips curved implied that it wasn’t an expression he made often. There were some murmurs in the crowd behind him, but they went silent as he cast a dark brown eye back at them. <br/><br/>“Deal?” Weiss raised an eyebrow. That wasn’t a word that was ever used in relation to the Grimm! The large man lowered his head, his gaze falling to the weapon at her sash. He leaned in suddenly, drawing his face as close to her ear as his prodigious size would allow, and speaking in such a slight whisper that Roman had to imitate the movement just to hear him.<br/><br/>“Are you a huntress, miss?” He hesitated long enough for her to give him a nod of affirmation, before following up with, “If you’ve time before your flight is ready, please come visit my home. I’ll explain everything there. It’s the large house in the village center, I’ll have my daughter show you in.”<br/><br/>Weiss wasn’t even given a chance to reply one way or the other. He immediately pulled away from her and turned to address the crowd who had gathered.<br/><br/>“Alright, you lot! Let’s stop gawking and show these strangers the kindness of the Mountainfolk! Raymond, Issac, Taylor, get some of the young men together and see what you can do to help with their repairs. Get the bathhouse fired up, and bring out the good meat! No need for them to be stranded <em>and</em> hungry!”<br/><br/>There was a moment’s pause, and the group began to disperse, their voices erupting into a cacophony as each separated to perform the errand they were given. Weiss watched the activity, directing the work crew to where they could find the pilot, and never losing the deep frown of consternation she’d been wearing ever since they’d landed. When they were finally left alone, Torchwick stood beside her and spoke. <br/><br/>“Ice Queen, call me crazy, but I think something strange is going down.” He said, his eyes on the group that had vanished into the airship. What was it about them that disquieted him so? That they were faunus? Hmm… it was true he had no particular love in his heart for their kind, but he didn’t really hold them in any more contempt than he did everyone else in the human race, sans himself and Neo.<br/><br/>“Everything about this is strange.” She replied, “but we’re stuck here anyway. We may as well hear him out.”<br/><br/>They began to travel toward the village itself. Every bit of the ground was covered in several inches of snow, which complicated Torchwick’s life terribly. He was forced to focus on each individual step, making certain to phase his foot through the snow before pressing his heel against the ground, and continuing this for each step he made. It was annoying, but not as bad as having Weiss try to explain why a set of ghostly footprints was following her around everywhere. <br/><br/>When they reached the first buildings of the town, he was shocked by just how tiny it was. There were no real stores to be found here, only an arrangement of small, ramshackle buildings set up in several rows alongside each other. The citizens who hadn’t set out to rubberneck at Weiss’ airship were all trotting about their business, though most stopped to cast curious eyes at the Ice Queen whenever they felt she wasn’t looking.<br/><br/>Moving around this place was like taking a walk in the distant past. In the modern day, Atlas was defined by its technological prowess, yet (due to some severe wealth inequality) it housed communities like this one, that looked like they’d scarcely changed in hundreds of years. A reminder of the kingdom of old, protected not by human ingenuity, but by sheer rocky walls on three sides, and a large barren snowfield on the fourth.</p>
<p>They did happen upon an outdated aircraft docked beside one of the end buildings, though. It was a humble little thing, likely used to travel between villages or to take longer trips to the bigger cities down the mountain, but the sight of it made Torchwick a little nostalgic despite himself. He’d learned to fly in crop dusters only a little smaller than this, as a kid. <br/><br/>Finally, they reached the village center. The houses here were larger than the ones on the perimeter, however slightly, with each even including a fenced-in yard area in their front. Weiss looked about for the ‘largest’ of them, settling on a two-story log cabin near the center of the line. A wooden swing-bench had been set up beside its entryway, with a young girl sitting on it. As Weiss approached, the girl turned to see her, excitement filling her eyes as she did so.<br/><br/><br/></p>
<p>“Oh my gosh!” The girl declared shrilly, leaping up from the seat and raising her hand high above her head. She ran up to them while waving furiously. “You’re not just a huntress! You’re Weiss Schnee!”<br/><br/>She was a cervine faunus as well, almost certainly the daughter they had been forewarned of. Unlike the massive antlers of her father though, she had to content herself with two tiny black nubs that extended only three or so inches from her dark red hairline. She had his tanned skin, though, and the same large, brown eyes… which she currently held wide open as she stared at Weiss, as if she were some kind of superhero. <br/><br/>Torchwick hated kids, and as such was a terrible judge of their ages, but were he to guess he would say she definitely wasn’t any younger than 9, or older than 12. Somewhere in that range. <br/><br/>“I, um...” Weiss stopped abruptly, her voice stammering a bit.<br/><br/>“I saw your show a couple weeks ago!” The younger girl gushed, pure delight radiating from her voice. “Well… Papa and I weren’t allowed to go in, ‘course. Had to listen from the entryway! You got the voice of an angel! I’m a huge fan!”<br/><br/>“Oh, um… thank you?” Weiss blushed furiously and looked away, clearly overwhelmed by her praise. <br/>“No need to be shy, Snowflake. Give her an autograph. You’ll make her year.” Torchwick said, wearing a broad smile. Weiss turned to glare at him, but since she was still blushing as she did so it was a gesture he found more adorable than intimidating, causing him to burst into laughter.<br/><br/>“Ain’t no thing! Now c’mon! Papa’s waiting” The young girl was oblivious to the teasing Weiss was being subjected to. She grabbed Weiss by the wrist and half guided, half tugged her into the house. Torchwick looked around one final time before following them inside. The people on the street around them were still eyeing the newcomer... a bit more openly now that Weiss couldn’t see them doing it. He shook his head and followed the group inside.<br/><br/>The interior of the home was as modest and humble as the exterior. The entryway, living room, and dining room were all merged into one, with the spaces for relaxing and eating separated by nothing save three leather armchairs that were centered around a small television hanging from the far wall. In the center of the room was an oaken dining table, barely big enough to seat 4, and behind it was a long gray counter-top that served to divide the kitchen area from the rest of the ground floor. The staircase to the upstairs was immediately to the right of the doorway, presumably leading up to the bedrooms.<br/><br/>“Welcome, welcome! What’d ya think of our humble village?” The old deer was seated at the dining table, across from the entryway, and when he saw the group enter he beckoned for Weiss to take a seat.<br/><br/>“It’s nice. A bit… rustic, I guess.” She answered, taking a seat awkwardly. The old man’s daughter watched her take her seat before doing the same, grabbing the chair at the far corner and dragging it closer to Weiss before sitting down.<br/><br/>“No need to be nice for my sake. Atlas has sprinted toward the future faster’n any other nation in the world, but here we are. A relic of a bygone era hiding out in the mountaintops.” The old man said with a laugh, before gesturing from himself to his daughter, who waved to Weiss enthusiastically. “Ah, but where are my manners? It occurs to me that we haven’t been introduced. I’m Edward Burroughs, village foreman. This is my daughter, Erica.”<br/><br/>“Weiss Schnee, a pleasure...” Weiss offered a polite smile to both of them. She seemed as uncomfortable with being here as Torchwick was, though since she was one of those heroic types, she wouldn’t let herself admit it. “And it really is beautiful here. I’ve never been to a place like this.”<br/><br/>“Why, thank you, then, Weiss! The mountain provides for most of our needs, though we must work hard to make it so. I’d say there’re a dozen little settlements like ours in this area… Just a few hundred people each. The environment is harsh, but that also protects us from the Grimm.” He frowned, and shook his head. “Well, until recently, as you’ve seen.”<br/><br/>“Right, I was curious about that. You said something about a deal before?” She asked. The foreman went silent for a moment, resting his forearms on the table as he looked into her eyes. As ever, Weiss was much more patient with this kind of behavior that Roman would have been. If you wanna ask for something, ask for it, dammit!<br/><br/>“Aye. About 2 weeks ago, a dozen Grimm approached our village. They stood in a line, still as statues, only springing to life if one of us ventured out to investigate ‘em. We’ll have one wander into town every now ‘n again, of course. Usually nothin’ we can’t handle ourselves. Seldom do we gotta bother the huntsmen or the military, but this was something else entirely. As if it wasn’t weird enough, then one of ‘em talked.”<br/><br/>“One of the Grimm… talked?” Weiss tilted her head, trying to make sure she’d heard correctly. The foreman gave a wry smile.<br/><br/>“Don’t fault you your doubt, miss. I’d doubt it too, were I not there. She talked though, all the same. All the other Grimm seemed just puppets to her. She could move ‘em about as she pleased, and she made them do things I never saw a Grimm do. They marched in step around us, and when they were all spread out she said she was givin’ us a choice: if we offered her two people to eat, we could have six months of peace. If we refused, they would kill us all.”<br/><br/>“Heh, weirdly sporting, for Grimm. I’d have just ate you all and been done with it. I mean, what could you do about it, right?” Torchwick was only half listening to the old man as he explored the house, poking his head through walls and up the stairs in an effort to find something to clue him in to what game this village was playing. Weiss didn’t even dignify him with a response though. She was too busy being horrified by what Edward had just told her. <br/><br/>“You sacrificed people?”She muttered, leaning forward in her chair. Her host nodded solemnly.<br/><br/>“Wasn’t an easy decision, but we did. Had no choice. With that many Grimm, even if we managed to fight them off we’d have lost way more than two people. The talkin’ one honored her word, though. They left quietly after that, and the Grimm’ve stayed clear of our borders ever since. Every week after that, I’ve gotten word that she’s approached another of our sister villages, making the same demand. Reckon she intends to squeeze us for all the easy food she can, since we’re too small and isolated for the rest of the world to take notice.”<br/><br/>“Why haven’t you asked for help? You’re citizens of Atlas, so certainly the military would send aid.” Weiss, again showing the world what a sweet, naive girl she was. When you’re rich and have the right last name, it’s easy to fall into the mistake of thinking the police and the military are eager to help everyone, just because they always bend over backwards to help you. Roman had had to learn that lesson the hard way, too.<br/><br/>“Of course we tried!” Boomed Edward, so forcefully that even his daughter jolted a bit. “We’ve been trying to get help nonstop ever since that night! The army is too preoccupied preparing itself for war. The huntsmen have been in chaos ever since the Grimm assaulted Vale. Even when I get lucky and get through to someone in spite of all that, no one believes a tall tale about talking Grimm, and our two deaths at a time can’t compare to the devastation others are facing. With the world in its current state, little communities like ours’ve been left to die. Especially since we’re… well, you know.”<br/><br/>“I see… That’s terrible.” Weiss lowered her face toward the table as she thought about what he’d told her. Torchwick didn’t even need to see her face to know she was mortified. The little Ice Queen seemed to have an especially high level of guilt when it came to the faunus. A moment of silence passed before anyone spoke again. <br/><br/>“Let me be blunt, Weiss.” Edward finally said, taking a deep breath. “The talking Grimm had an army of a dozen two weeks ago… and since then that number’s only grown. We don’t know exactly how many Grimm have taken up residence in these mountains, but she likely controls around fifty by now. When half a year passes and she returns, she could have hundreds… or thousands. When she does, she won’t need to settle for token offerings from tiny mountain villages like ours anymore… and the rest of the country will regret not solving this problem while it was still small.<br/><br/>“We’re happy to help repair your airship. Help yourself to any supplies you need. We’ll even pay you what we can. You can make any demand you please of us, but in exchange, please… <em>please</em> slay that monster. It’s unnatural for the Creatures of Grimm to congregate in such numbers here. If she dies, I’m bettin’ the rest will scatter.”<br/><br/>There it was! Of course that’s what they’re after, hoping to find a single hunter stupid enough to go die fighting some new type of Grimm. Weiss had every bit of Little Red’s insane obsession with heroics, but even she wasn’t crazy enough to think she could handle potentially fighting fifty Grimm by herself. No, she would turn him down and then all Torchwick would have to do is-<br/><br/>“I’ll do it.” Weiss said with a determined nod. Edward’s face lit up at her words… but it took all of Torchwick’s self control to avoid falling over in shock.<br/><br/>“That’s wonderful!” Declared Edward.</p>
<p>“You’re so awesome, Weiss!” Declared Erica.</p>
<p><br/>“Have you lost your gods-damned mind, Snowflake!?” Declared Torchwick.</p>
<p>“Your villages are trapped, and no one is paying any attention. I can’t just ignore it now that I’ve seen it.” She continued.</p>
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<p>Oh. Oh, oh. Oh, no. Torchwick should have known it was something like that. He’d hoped self preservation would trump her empathy at least in this case, but he had forgotten that reckless disregard for one’s own life was one of the required traits of the huntsmen. <br/><br/>“We are truly in your debt, Weiss. The talking Grimm resides in a cavern a couple hours’ walk from here. I’ll have Erica show you the way, but there’s no hurry! Take your time, and provision yourself as ya need before you head out.”<br/><br/>They exchanged a few more words, and Edward offered a few dozen more ‘thank you’s before Weiss finally departed, an eager Erica happily accompanying her. Against all hope, Torchwick waited in the home as she left. He kept his eyes on Edward as long as he could, hands on his hips as he examined the great buck’s face.<br/><br/>He just wanted the man to give him some clue. An evil smirk, a finger pyramid, a ‘muhahaha, my evil plan is complete!’, <em>anything</em> he could use to definitively prove that there was some hidden deception here. He needed something he could use to talk Weiss out of doing this.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, as he was left alone in the darkness, Edward simply sat in silence, a sad look on his face. He reached into the pocket of his jacket after a moment, producing a small silver flask, and unscrewed it thoughtfully. By now, Torchwick was so far from Weiss that he was beginning to feel their tether slowly pull him away, but he kept on watching the old man… and just before he was dragged away, he got a clue.<br/><br/>Edward had set the cap of his flask on the table, brought the open container to his nose, and smelled it thoughtfully. The deep, sad frown on his face grew ever deeper and sadder as he tilted the flask upward and took a long pull of its contents. When he was finished he looked into the darkness, and muttered to no one in particular.<br/><br/>“‘The huntress with two souls’, huh?”</p>
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<p>***</p>
<p><em>Crunch crunch </em><em>crunch</em><br/><br/>The satisfying sound of snow compacting beneath boots filled the air. The three of them were traveling up a narrow path behind the village, with Erica up front and Weiss following a few yards behind. Sheer rocky walls protruded on either side of them, their deep blacks and browns a sharp contrast to the white of the snow that layered itself generously on any flat surface exposed to the sky. As they walked, Weiss stared forward resolutely. Her eyes were narrowed, though whether that was out of a huntress’ determination or a desperation to see through the blinding glint of the sunlight bouncing off the snow, Torchwick couldn’t be sure.<br/><br/>Apparently, she hadn’t wanted to waste time. As soon as they left the old man’s house, she made a brief stop by the airship to confirm its condition, then immediately began to prepare for the journey. By the time she departed an hour later, she was wearing a thick white coat made of woolen fibers, black-and-blue checkered thermal stockings, and slightly more water-resistant boots. She had needed to modify her wardrobe for the more intense cold of the mountain, but also had to consider her speed and flexibility in combat, so finding a combination of clothes that would stop the cold from killing her without enabling the Grimm to do so was a challenge.<br/><br/>“So, uh… we’re really doing this?” Torchwick had tried to find a chance to discuss his protest with her before this, but she was always in a position where she was either in earshot of a crowd or in a state of undress, so only now did he finally get the chance to try to understand what she was doing.<br/><br/>“We’re really doing this.” She confirmed in a serious tone, staring out at the path ahead. Torchwick sighed deeply and closed his eyes, massaging his eyelids with his fingertips.<br/><br/>“Look, I said from the start that I would follow your lead here, and I meant that, I did. Still, I’m not gonna be able to relax if I don’t confirm something: You do realize these people are lying to us, right? That everything that has happened since the Grimm attacked our airship has been some kind of elaborate setup, right?”<br/><br/>“Oh, I know that.” She said, her tone and the direction of her gaze unchanging. <br/><br/>“...Any chance you’d listen to me if I suggested we just bail? We could leave right now. Screw our airship. The village has a little two-seater patrol craft we could lift. I started flying those things when I was 12 years old, so I’m sure I could walk you through it. Wouldn’t be the most comfy ride in the universe, but it could get us across the ocean.”<br/><br/>The suggestion did finally provoke a change in Weiss, who turned the corner of her lip down and pulled her head back to look him in the eye. <br/><br/>“I don’t think the villagers will take too kindly to that.” She said. Torchwick knew better than to think she would go along with such a plan, but at this point he was desperate. If she wanted to play hero, he knew there was no stopping her, but she could at least consider that she was throwing his life away, too.<br/><br/>“I mean, I think you could take ‘em, Ice Queen.” He raised a hand and jerked his thumb back toward the village. “I like your odds against a few disgruntled mountain yokels way better than I like your odds against fifty Grimm by yourself.”<br/><br/>“No! You’re just going to have to trust me.” Her frown grew deeper, and she shook her head. “Besides, I’m not alone, right?”<br/><br/>Torchwick scoffed.<br/><br/>“I’m flattered to be thought of, truly, but come on! That’s not what I mean and you know it. If it came down to a fight, at best I’d be your cheerleader.”<br/><br/>She had stopped responding to him by now, though, her way of letting him know it wasn’t open for discussion any more. He scratched the top of his head and brushed his bangs from his eye. He hadn’t expected to be able to talk her out of it, of course, but it was still frustrating. <br/><br/>“Can you at least tell me why we’re doing this? I was led to believe you were the level-headed one in your group of friends.” Well, actually, he’d always figured she was the prissy one in her group of friends, but that was neither here nor there. Weiss took another few steps, but did give him an answer.<br/><br/>“They’re lying to us about something, but they still need our help.” She said softly, looking up to where Erica was marching ahead of them. The young girl was smiling broadly as she took wide, playful strides, watching her boots vanish into the snow with each step. “No one else will come to help them, right? I won’t abandon them. I refuse to become the kind of person who only cares about problems that directly affect me.”<br/><br/><em>Damn it, Atlesian nobility! </em>Torchwick thought with a bitter sigh. <em>I was grateful when you lit a fire under her to get her to leave the nest, but now you have her doing this.</em></p>
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<p>Weiss seemed to be struggling with her own identity. After the events at the manor, she had a firm idea of exactly what she <em>wasn’t-- </em>She wasn’t what her father had wanted her to be, and she wasn’t like the detached wealthy class she had grown up alongside. Now that she’d freed herself from that, she was in the process of trying to establish what, exactly, she<em> was. </em>A less cynical person might be impressed with her growth, but Torchwick was more concerned with the pressing necessity of keeping her from getting herself killed in the meantime. She really didn’t have the right to accuse Little Red of being dumb!<br/><br/>The group traveled a while further, until the hill they’d slowly been climbing crested, and the rock walls around them fell away to expose a winding, blinding expanse of snowy fields all around them. Erica let out an excited giggle as she doubled back toward Weiss, throwing out an arm to point into the distance.<br/><br/>“That’s the place! The talkin’ Grimm just hangs back there, most times. Lets the ones it controls do most of the movin’ about.” Her extended finger pointed toward a wide, circular cave mouth. Compared to the blinding light of the snow all around it, the darkness of its depths was like an inky void threatening to swallow up everything around it. Erica reached into her pocket, producing an object which she promptly thrust toward Weiss. “Papa says you should take this. Mirrors should be enough to light stuff up, but just in case, y’know?”<br/><br/>Weiss looked down at the object-- a black, angle-head flashlight-- and took it with a smile.<br/><br/>“Thanks, Erica. You’ve taken us far enough. It could be dangerous from here, though, so go on back home. You can leave the rest to us.”<br/><br/>“Us?” The little girl raised an eyebrow, swiveling her body about as if searching for someone. Weiss let out a startled groan as she realized she’d misspoken. <br/><br/>“Oh, uh, Sorry. I meant me and my sword.” She stammered out, reaching for the hilt of of Myrtenaster, and drawing out a quarter of its length in demonstration. “Y’know, I sometimes personify her. Like, to make sure she’s okay with whatever it is I’m doing.”<br/><br/>The girl cocked her head, Weiss’ answer somehow managing to make her more concerned than she was already. Despite himself Roman chuckled. She really wasn’t great at being put on the spot.<br/><br/>“Is that why you talk to yourself so much?” Erica asked with wide eyes. Seemed she was suddenly very worried about her idol’s mental well-being.<br/><br/>“Y-Yes! Exactly!” Weiss smiled as wide as she could, despite glaring at Torchwick from the corner of her eye. “She… She really likes to complain about everything.”<br/><br/>A silence fell over them that somehow managed to be more awkward than any Torchwick had ever experienced with Weiss before. The young girl pursed her lips and relaxed them a few times, contemplating what she’d been told.<br/><br/>“Well, okay! I do weird stuff sometimes, too. Good luck, Weiss! Good luck, Weiss’ sword!” She finally nodded her acceptance and turned to run back toward the village. <br/><br/>She hadn’t even ran ten feet before she came to an abrupt stop, though. She turned around and looked back at Weiss, her brows knit and a pensive grimace on her face.<br/><br/>“...and I’m really sorry. For everything.” Erica muttered. She looked down at the ground, shook her head, then resumed her trek back to town, running at full speed. Weiss and Torchwick spent a moment watching her leave.<br/><br/>“So, uh… You gonna stand there and tell me that, that-” Torchwick jerked his head toward the fleeing child, “whole thing that just happened raised zero alarm bells? Really?” <br/><br/>Weiss was quiet. She returned Myrtenaster to its sheath and turned back toward the cavern. <br/><br/>“She needs help, too.” She said, finally. Torchwick sighed again, but by now the fight was out of him.<br/><br/>“Fine. I just want you to know, though, I am a very petty man, Snowflake.” He stretched, weaving the fingers of both hands together and resting his palms behind his head as they walked. “If you get yourself eaten because of this, I make this solemn promise to you: I will spend the entire time we’re climbing that staircase together being <em>insufferably</em> smug about how right I was about everything.”</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Indolent Fable</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You thought it was Salem, but it was me!  Fanfic OC!</p>
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  <b>Weiss Schnee</b>
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<p>The Death Stalker saw Weiss coming, but by then it was too late. As the scorpion-like Grimm sluggishly distended its tail toward her she ducked down, angling her body to create as small a target as possible, and pushed the tip of her sword forward with all the force she could muster. The point found an eye and pierced it deeply, the gel-like consistency of the organ creating a sticky resistance as she pushed the length of metal as far as she could. Once the strike was finished, she ignited the wind dust within the chamber to send her target flying back against the stony wall of the cave.</p>
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<p>A cry of pain, a sudden jerk of its long, spider-like legs, and the Grimm fell dead.<br/><br/>“That’s three...” She muttered as she relaxed her stance, not bothering to return Myrtenaster to its sheath. They were still in the mouth of the cavern, but had begun to face resistance almost immediately. It wasn’t that their presence had been discovered, it seemed, but more that the Grimm spent their time here idly wandering about without direction or intent, and she happened upon them by chance as she approached. <br/><br/>“Indeed! Good job!” Torchwick had gone deeper into the cave while she fought, scouting the area ahead for enemies. As he returned to her now he cast a thoughtful smirk her way. “None of them have complained about being stabbed yet, though, so I don’t think we’ve found our lady.” <br/><br/>Weiss looked around. The entryway was the only part of the cave that felt natural. The space was oblong, with uneven stalactites extending downward like rocky teeth, creating makeshift walls and pockets of darkness that helped her to keep herself hidden as she slowly traversed the area, but which invited her worry that enemies may do the same to her each time she rounded a corner. <br/><br/>As she approached the back of the cave, however, everything beyond the entrance suddenly showed hints of the cavern’s artificial nature. The halls that led down into the depths were much more narrow, perfectly level, and squared. She could see that the walls here were reinforced at fixed intervals by wooden beams and pillars of carved stone. The wood was heavily rotted and musky, and the stone was visibly eroded-- implying decades, if not centuries, of neglect-- but there could be no doubt that this was a man-made mine.<br/><br/>A dust quarry? The possibility made Weiss’ stomach turn. After the great war, there were countless expeditions into the mountains in search of dust sources, and demand for the miracle resource had existed even before that. Assuming she was right, it even made sense that the villagers were mostly faunus. These mountain villages were likely the descendants of workers who were abandoned here after the veins went dry. <br/><br/>Weiss cast her eyes down, her chest feeling heavy. Even as a huntress the sins of her family haunted her. She couldn’t know definitively that the Schnee family was to blame for this mine, specifically, but they had certainly done similar things, and facing another reminder only added strength to the guilt that ever-nagged at the back of her mind. <br/><br/>Now wasn’t the time for self-pity, though! She couldn’t change what happened to the villagers in the past, but she could save them now. Weiss and Torchwick continued down the passageway, which went on for a few hundred feet before branching into multiple paths. <br/><br/>“Which way should we go?” She asked. Torchwick had once again moved ahead of her as they advanced, but when they reached the fork in the path he came to a stop and fell onto his knees, pressing his ear to the ground. <br/><br/>“Well, I’m no huntsman, but a lot of noise is coming from there.” He nodded his head toward the right-most path. “So if you want my professional opinion… anywhere else?” Weiss frowned. With no information to go on, any direction she picked would be arbitrary, so she turned to the left-most path and began to walk down it. <br/><br/>At least they didn’t need to worry about light, yet. On the ceiling above each intersection was a set of large mirrors affixed into place by the miners long ago. Each was angled to refract the light of the ones that came before, and poured a diminished, but consistent, supply of the afternoon sun’s light into the area. The head of the flashlight Erica had given her still protruded out of the breast pocket of Weiss’ coat, though. Just in case. <br/><br/>“I wish I’d asked for a map. I didn’t know the area would be so winding.” She said. Each time she made a turn or changed direction she would stop and carve an ‘X’ into the wall, trying her best to track the route they were taking. She’d agreed to the request of the village almost instinctively, and had tried to rush the extermination. Perhaps she really had been a little too careless.<br/><br/>Eventually, the path began to gently curve before opening into another natural cavern. The narrow walls opened into a circular chamber similar to the entrance, with the ovular shape of the space broken into sections by debris and stalactites.</p>
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<p>In the very center of this area was a large, foreboding shape. In the dull light the mirrors afforded, Weiss couldn’t be sure whether it was a creature or some kind of rock formation. She took a step toward it, but stopped her advance when the outline began to move.<br/><br/>“Is that you, child? Are you here? Lovely! I’ve so longed to meet you for myself.” A bored, feminine voice echoed through the cavern. Weiss froze in place, her heart pounding in her chest as her grip on her sword tightened. As the shadow before her began to stir, and her eyes adjusted to the low light, she could see that the shape of the creature was unlike any Grimm she had seen before.<br/><br/>Like all Grimm, this one’s body was a deep black. It was huge-- about twice the size of an elephant-- and carried itself about on all fours, with a long, prehensile tail doubling its length. Its head was wide, long, and reptilian, like that of a dragon, and its face bore the white, mask-like coloration that was common for its race. <br/><br/>As Weiss cautiously resumed her approach, she saw that the creature was curled up on the ground like a sleeping dog. Unlike most Grimm, whose eyes were a soulless glowing mass of red or yellow, this one had eyes of gold, with large black pupils that narrowed into slits as they focused their sight on the huntress. It really did have the look of a dragon from a fairly tale, Weiss thought, with the sole difference being that, in lieu of the wings, this Grimm had two thick tendrils that extended from its spine, stretching even longer than its tail. <br/><br/>“Are you really a Grimm?” Weiss asked. She inched as close to the creature as she felt she could without inviting an attack, and from there began to move in a slow circle around it. The creature’s eyes followed her as she moved, a throaty growl sounding in response to her question.<br/><br/>“A Grimm? I seem as a Grimm to you? Such insolence!” The creature spat angrily. When she opened her mouth Weiss could see multiple rows of sharp teeth concealed behind her thin reptilian lips. Sensing the anger, Weiss immediately stopped moving, planting both feet and raising her sword. A moment of stillness passed, but rather than attack, the creature began to laugh… a sound not so dissimilar to a roar, but filled with predatory mirth. <br/><br/>“A jest! Merely a jest, rest assured. ‘Tis a reasonable assumption to make. My kin and I were all Creatures of Grimm once, and unlike my highborn siblings, I cannot assume a human form, alas.” While she opened her mouth when she spoke, it wasn’t in time with the words she produced. Weiss wasn’t sure how she could speak so clearly with such a feral maw. <br/><br/>“What are you, then?” Weiss tried to keep the creature talking for now, while she tried to assess the best way to attack. Grimm or not, the thing was large. It would have the advantage out in this open cavern, but maybe she could lure it into the more narrow halls? Her Boarbatusk felt like an inadequate summon against such a large creature, but perhaps her new Arma Gigas would be effective?<br/><br/>“I am Aibell, youngest daughter of the Fabled.” The creature said proudly. As Weiss moved, Aibell’s gaze followed, but she didn’t bother to raise her head or shift her body from her relaxed position. “Is it your wish to chat a spell? Perhaps you aim for time to conjure a strategy? I’ve no objection. It has been so long since I’ve had a civil conversation.”<br/><br/>“Crap! Headed your way, Ice Queen!” Torchwick shouted from the other side of the cavern. As she’d went in one direction around the creature, he’d headed the other, attempting to forewarn her of enemies attacking from behind.</p>
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<p>Another Death Stalker had wandered over from the back of the cavern, and, upon seeing Weiss, began to skitter toward her. It crossed the center of the cavern as quickly as its legs would allow, but as it moved beside Aibell, she growled in anger. One of the tendrils at her back whipped forth, displaced air hissing as the end of it slammed down into the creature. The crunch of a carapace being smashed was followed by a thunderous <em>crack</em> as the tendril followed through the smashed Grimm and dug into the ground beneath it. <br/><br/>“See? I’m surrounded by this lot. They have their uses, to be sure, but they have no talent for stimulating one’s intellect.” She opened her mouth, darting her neck out to grasp the shattered Grimm within her jaws and raised her head, allowing it to fall into her throat. She swallowed it whole with naught but a sigh. <br/><br/>Weiss was still staring at the tendril that had attacked, watching it return to its position hovering above the Fable’s back. Aibell had moved the appendage so quickly that Weiss’ eyes could only scarcely follow its arc through the air. If she had been the target, she could dodge it-- so long as she saw it coming from the start-- but if one of them managed to strike from a blind spot, she would be in trouble. <br/><br/>“So you’re the one who controls the Grimm...” Weiss said thoughtfully.<br/><br/>“Control them? You misunderstand. The one who controls the Creatures of Grimm is a force much mightier than I. I merely… borrow the ones who pass into my orbit. Regardless, well met, Huntress of Snow.” The beast let out a guttural growl and turned her head back to where Torchwick was standing. “...and to you, Fugitive.”<br/><br/>Torchwick had been in the process of returning to Weiss’ side while Aibell spoke, but he stopped abruptly when she turned her attention to him. Even in the dim light of the cavern Weiss could see the shock on his face. <br/><br/>“You can see me?” He asked, instinctively taking a step back and raising his arms. Aibell cackled wickedly.<br/><br/>“See you? My boy, you’re the reason I’m here. I was sleeping quite contentedly before you stirred my Mother. Your offense in worrying her was a grave one.”<br/><br/>Weiss closed her eyes for a moment, touching the fingertips of her left hand to her forehead. This was all wrong. It felt surreal. When the foreman had told her of a talking Grimm, she had a sense of who it should have been, despite not knowing why she had it. A vague feeling that there was a way events were meant to unfold, and that destiny had been altered somehow. This beast shouldn’t exist, yet here it was.<br/><br/>“What did Roman do? Why are you attacking the villagers?” After a moment she opened her eyes and spoke again. Talking was probably pointless, but she wanted to understand.<br/><br/>“Why am I attacking the villagers? I’ve done no such thing!” There was clear indignation in the creature’s voice. “I’ve eaten them, to be sure, but on quite amicable terms. Honestly! I rouse from a 400-year slumber and you would begrudge me my appetite? Humans are ever-myopic creatures! Do you not consume the flesh of pigs and chickens?”<br/><br/>Weiss narrowed her eyes, anger welling within her. It felt strange to have a Grimm attempt to rationalize itself, but more than anything Aibell’s casual attitude infuriated her. <br/><br/>“‘Amicable’!? You forced them to sacrifice themselves!” Weiss put her lead foot forward, sword extended, and tilted her body to an angle with the creature. If she summoned her Gigas could she take it out in one strike? Should she sieze the initiative while this monster’s guard was down?<br/><br/>Still, she hesitated. How was this situation related to Torchwick? If she kept her talking, would she find out?<br/><br/>“Such righteous anger!” The beast cackled again, allowing her head to once more rest on the pillow of her clawed foot. “If I may speak honestly, I loathe exertion. Human flesh is a delicacy, but fighting with them to obtain it is a chore. Blessedly, you’re a very conniving species. Would your fury on behalf of my victims waver if I told you they offered you as a sacrifice in their stead?”</p>
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<p>Weiss felt the anger in her heart tinge with sadness. She wasn’t as cynical as Roman, but she wasn’t an idiot either. She had a feeling something like this was going on, but she’d wanted to help, anyway. Her thoughts fell back to the look Erica had given her before they’d parted ways. Weiss couldn’t bring herself to believe that a girl like that could be motivated by spite.<br/><br/>Torchwick jogged across the cavern, and as Aibell finished her taunt he stood beside Weiss, leaning forward to whisper in her ear.<br/><br/>“You’re the Ice Queen, right? Don’t let yourself get hot. She’s trying to get you worked up” He said. Weiss gave him a curt nod. She knew that this creature couldn’t be allowed to survive, but it was also more cunning than a typical Grimm. She had to fight it carefully.<br/><br/>“You say they offered me as a sacrifice, but how? How did they know I was coming?” Weiss decided it was best to keep the conversation going. Thus far, Aibell had only answered one of her first two questions, after all. <br/><br/>“Because you have the ‘Fugitive’ with you! He escaped from Mother’s tower, but the mark of it remains on him. We Fabled will sense him wherever he goes.” Aibell responded with a yawn. Weiss subconsciously braced herself. She had to be ready in case the conversation grew so boring to the creature that she began her attack.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The price I pay for being popular with the ladies. Well, you got me here. Now what? If you want my autograph we’re at an impasse. My hands haven’t been very cooperative since I started my return tour.” Torchwick gave his most charming smile and winked at Aibell, offering an indifferent shrug.<br/><br/>“We’ll have you return from whence you came. The ‘Stairway of Purification’ is a vital part of our Mother’s dream. It must remain hidden from the gods on high, and from the rebel who would resist them. Your presence in this world threatens to reveal the tower to their eyes. It’s most frustrating: Those eaten by the Creatures of Grimm are meant to stay dead! For you to return to life, even in this form, ‘tis like...” Aibell stopped suddenly, eyes glancing up thoughtfully, as if pondering a good comparison.<br/><br/>“Like I’m someone chosen by destiny? Wouldn’t be the first time.” Torchwick offered. The creature shook her head. <br/><br/>“’Tis like you’re a kernel of undigested corn in a pile of excrement.” She corrected in a firm tone. Roman’s reaction to this was so visceral that Weiss could feel it through their shared bond. <br/><br/>“No! I reject your simile! Pick a better one!” His visible eye twitched as he sneered, pointing in accusation. Aibell laughed in reply and returned her attention to Weiss.<br/><br/>“So there you have it, child. When you accepted this man’s soul into your body, his escape worried Mother, and that worry roused us from centuries of slumber. My Lord Brother commanded us to pursue the Fugitive, but I declined. You were half a continent away, and I hadn’t eaten in centuries! No, I was content to leave the matter to my elders, and imbibe myself upon human marrow and blood to my heart’s content.<br/><br/>“Imagine my shock, then when I realized you were heading toward me! At high speed, no less. I’m a dutiful daughter: I’ll gladly do what my mother wishes of me, if the effort it requires is minimal. So I conferred with the next village in my path. Like the others, they protested the offer I gave them. ‘Oh! Our population is so small! You ask us to choose between a swift death or a slow one!’ Merciful monster that I am, I offered them an alternative.”<br/><br/>“Well, I for one am shocked that they would sell out a stranger to save their own skin. Completely blindsided.” muttered Torchwick bitterly. Weiss shook her head.<br/><br/>“She backed them into a corner, then forced them to cooperate. It’s not their fault.” She replied. Truthfully, she was more than a little hurt that they hadn’t trusted her enough to be honest about their situation, and that was in addition to the self-doubt spiral she often found herself in whenever the sins of her family were brought before her. Maybe they really did want her dead because she was a Schnee…<br/><br/>“You heroic types are always<em> so</em> reasonable.” He sighed, his gaze stern. Of course he didn’t understand. A guy who only cared about himself could never relate to the desperation normal people feel when they risk losing a loved one. “They sent you into an abandoned mine to die, Ice Queen. You realize you’re allowed to be upset about that, right?”<br/><br/>“Quite so.” Chimed Aibell, not bothering to hide her delight at Weiss’ turmoil. “Their aid in cornering you was most invaluable. T’was they who taught me how best to force that queer metal bird of yours to return gently to the ground. I could have crushed it against the mountain, of course-- so long as you die, the Fugitive will be returned to the stairway-- but if I <em>must </em>go through the trouble of killing you, I will have the pleasure of tasting your flesh.”<br/><br/>“You can try.” Weiss was a little confused, and a little hurt, but she pushed her feelings back for now. She lowered her center of gravity, cool blue eyes narrowed. <br/><br/>“Such a fearsome girl! Very well... come to your fate. Though I will strip the flesh from your bones, fear not. You will join your soulmate in becoming the foundation for Mother’s new garden.”<br/><br/>Aibell slowly rose to her feet, and her eyes glowed an ominous red, causing a rush of skittering footsteps to echo through the cavern as six more Death Stalkers heeded her summons. They began to dash toward Weiss, three from each side of Aibell’s massive form, but the huntress had already begun her attack. <br/><br/>A large blue glyph formed beside her, starting at her eye level and slowly descending to the ground as the body of a Boarbatusk formed in the space it passed through, as if being scanned into existence. Once the summon was complete, she sent it charging into the group of Grimm attacking from her left. For the enemies to her right, she discharged the ice dust she had chambered within her sword, using more of her glyphs to send the forming spears of ice flying into the crowd.<br/><br/>Only six enemies had appeared for now, but Weiss knew that the rest were on their way. She had to try to strike decisively while the numbers were still manageable. Killing Aibell wouldn’t stop the rest of the Grimm from attacking her, most likely, but it would at least prevent them from behaving like an organized army. She didn’t hate her odds against regular Grimm, especially ones as sluggish as these. She and her friends had killed plenty of them. <br/><br/>With the advance of the Death Stalkers momentarily broken, Weiss ran toward Aibell. She approached patiently, her eyes fixed on the tendrils at the beast’s back. The instant one of them began to slam down, she laid a glyph at her feet, launching herself forward at maximum speed as she ducked beneath the appendage and raced forward like a dart, extending her blade to pierce her target’s neck.<br/><br/>--But something stopped her. As she charged forward, a golden light enveloped the creature, and as her attack struck its mark, Weiss could feel that light form a solid barrier that protected it from damage. Weiss’ jaw fell open as she realized what had happened. Aura! A Grimm had just used aura to protect itself.<br/><br/>A broad smile drew its way across Aibell’s monstrous face, once more revealing the jagged teeth concealed within. <br/><br/>“Become one with me, Child!” Her voice was laced with animalistic bloodlust as she threw open her mouth and threw her head down to where Weiss had landed beneath her. In her shock, Weiss had allowed herself to fall flat-footed, a mistake she noticed a heartbeat too late. She trembled as she looked up at the gaping maw closing in on her. She’d screwed up! She had her own aura, of course, but she couldn’t be sure it would save her if she was swallowed whole. <br/><br/>“Why the hell are you freezing up in the middle of a fight!?” A male voice screamed beside her. Before she could even register what was happening she felt someone’s back slam into her side, pushing her away. She turned her head just in time to see Torchwick glaring at her, occupying the space she had been standing in just as Aibell’s maw came crashing down around him.<br/><br/>The beast let out an audible grunt of frustration, once again attempting to crush Weiss beneath one of her tendrils, but by now the huntress had recovered from her initial shock, and as the whip-like mass of black flesh cut through the air she leaped backward, watching it slam into the rocky ground hard enough to send a long crack through the solid limestone beneath it. <br/><br/>“Roman!” Weiss shouted, turning her eyes toward the place where her partner had been swallowed. Now that she was back outside Aibell’s attack range, she was able to process exactly what had just happened, though she’d scarcely had the chance to worry before Torchwick phased through the creature’s jaw, visibly hyperventilating. <br/><br/>“You’d better have appreciated that!” He leaned down, resting his palms on his knees as he looked up at Weiss. It seemed that, while Aibell was able to see and hear him, she wasn’t able to interact with him any more than any other physical object could. “I just relived one hell of a traumatic memory!”<br/><br/></p>
<p>“I’m so sorry.” She said. For just a second there, she had genuinely believed she’d gotten him killed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>...Re-killed? She wasn’t sure of the semantics, but her guilt over putting him in that position was the same, regardless. She shook her head and smacked her cheek with her free hand. Aibell had called herself a ‘Fable’, right? A Grimm with aura… well, that just meant Weiss would have to wear her down.<br/><br/>From behind Torchwick, Aibell raised herself upward and released a loud, primal roar.<br/><br/>“A thousand curses, Fugitive!” Her voice reverberated through the area so viscerally that Weiss could feel the vibrations through the ground. “She looks delicious, but the notion of combat is so tiresome. I was so confident I could catch her by surprise, and you’ve ruined it!”<br/><br/>“Yeah, well, determined as the Ice Queen is to get herself killed, I’m not going to make it easy for her.” Normally a crack like that would elicit a response from Weiss, but she really was lucky she’d had him around, today. Aibell roared again, rearing up into an attack stance. Once more the area around them shook with the force of her cry, so badly that Weiss feared it may trigger a cave-in.<br/><br/>A cave-in? Weiss shot bolt upright as the inspiration hit her. A way to crush the Fable and seal in her army all at once. She looked around the dim cavern once again. Of the six Grimm that had initially come to aid their controller, two were still alive-- struggling against the Boarbatusk Weiss had summoned earlier-- and more were beginning to pour in from the hallway she’d entered from. It looked like that really was the only entrance to this area. If she could get around them and lure them into the more narrow section of the mine…<br/><br/>She smirked. It wasn’t great, but a plan was a plan! She reached into her coat, groping about for the spare dust vials she’d prepared. Her fumbling grew more frantic as she realized she couldn’t find them. <br/>Grimm began to close around her again, and she was forced to fight her way back out of range. She tried to keep herself on the outside of the swarm, not letting them fully encircle her, and keeping Aibell in her field of vision at all times. As she did so, she desperately searched the pockets of her coat for her dust.<br/><br/>Where had it gone? She definitely had it when she’d left the village. It was true that she’d been more hasty than usual in setting out on this hunt, but she was always careful when she made preparations. She took inventory of all her supplies before she set off, so the only time when something could have happened was-</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>...and, I’m really sorry. </em><em>For</em><em> everything.</em><em><br/></em><br/>Weiss felt herself grow nauseous as she remembered Erica’s last words to her before they’d parted ways. Had the faunus girl gotten close to her while showing them the way to the mine? It was certainly possible. <br/><br/>She continued to strafe along the outer perimeter of the cavern, keeping her back to the wall to limit the directions from which the Grimm could approach. As long as she could maintain this pace, she could strike at whichever one got closest to her and still have time to start running again before getting swarmed by the rest of the pack. Now to just keep this moving until she made it back to the hallway she entered from…<br/><br/>A Death Stalker tore ahead of the others and lunged at her, raising a claw in an attempt to catch her within its pincers. She swayed back to avoid it, severing the appendage with a single slash, and resumed her retreat. Whether it was due to being controlled by Aibell, or a side effect of existing in a climate much colder than they preferred, the movements of these Grimm were incredibly slow and easy to anticipate. It was a lone blessing that helped to mitigate the fact that she was outnumbered twelve-to-one (and a half)-- and growing. <br/><br/>When she finally completed her lap of the dim cavern she looked down at her sword and gritted her teeth. Knowing now that the dust vials she had chambered were the only ones in her possession, she didn’t want to waste them, but she had no choice here. She needed to buy time, and she needed as much space between herself and her pursuers as possible.<br/><br/>“Roman! Head toward the entrance. Now!” She shouted, barely waiting to see his nod of understanding before she erected a large glyph in front of herself. She rotated the cylinder of Myrtenaster toward the chamber of purple dust, and whipped her blade forward like a magic wand as she ignited it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The explosion of the dust created a small black orb before her, which hit the glyph and accelerated out to the center of the cavern before collapsing in on itself. The Grimm that had been pursuing her continued to move their bodies, but no longer gained ground as an invisible well of gravity caught them in its wake, pulling them backwards. If she was lucky, a few of the Grimm closest to the center would be crushed together, but she wasted no time looking backward to check, instead running through the entryway and back down the narrow hallway from whence she’d come. <br/><br/>She ran for a while at full speed, trying her best to follow the symbols she’d carved into the walls earlier. Torchwick had entered the hall just ahead of her, and remained there until he was satisfied no enemies were coming to meet them head on.<br/><br/>“Alright, so, compliment sandwich time.” He said as he returned to her, matching her pace as she slowed down to a jog. “It might shock you to hear this, but I think that could have gone just a little bit better. First o-”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Roman...” Weiss cut him off, her head lowered. She had wanted to sound firm, but honestly she was just tired. Every time she felt like she was gaining momentum in life, something happened that left her questioning everything. It’d been like this ever since Beacon fell. “Erica stole my dust.”<br/><br/>Torchwick had clearly been building up to one of his patented sardonic witticisms, but seeing how sincerely crestfallen Weiss was, he abandoned it there. The smirk that had been playing at the corners of his mouth melted away, and his eyes narrowed in what could almost been interpreted as sympathy.<br/><br/>“I see.” He said, his tone more flat and earnest than it had been before. <br/><br/>“You didn’t notice anything? When we were coming up the mountain path?” She asked. She released the cylinder of her sword and pulled the blade down, ejecting the spent vials from their chambers. By default, she preferred to have six different types of dust chambered at any given time: fire, lightning, ice, gravity, wind, and light. Of the six, she now only had three, and only one shot of each, besides. Three vials of dust to take on a small army of Grimm.<br/><br/>“I like to think I’m as observant as I am cynical, and as cynical as I am ruggedly handsome, but no. This time it looks like I slipped up as bad as you did. The brat was hanging onto you nonstop ever since you met her, it never felt weird for her to be close to you.” He scratched his cheek and brushed his bangs from his eye. “Honestly, I’m in shock! It’s hard to get one over on ole’ Torchwick. I wonder if she’d be interested in a career as a petty thug? The pay isn’t great, but you do get to spend all day with me, and that’s not nothing.”<br/><br/>Torchwick was no stranger to braggadocio, but this was a bit of a put-on, even for him. It was such an extreme, humorous thing to say that Weiss would almost think he were trying to cheer her up—once more, if he were literally anyone else on the planet. Still, she smiled a bit despite herself. <br/><br/>“I’ve spent all day with you before. It’s an overrated experience.” She replied flatly. Torchwick parted his lips, looking at her wide-eyed for a moment, and then burst out laughing.<br/><br/>“Can’t say I haven’t helped you, though! Your insult game has come a long way. Not great yet, but baby steps.” He shook his head, flashed her a grin, and the two of them headed deeper into the cavern together. “Seriously, though, do you have a minute? We need to talk...”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. I Want To Understand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The first step in the foundation of a strong friendship is open communication.</p>
<p>Torchwick officially becomes Weiss' Stand... or her assassin-class servant, maybe?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <b>Roman Torchwick</b>
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<p>They had returned to the fork in the internal path before Weiss finally stopped a moment to catch her breath. The sound of their pursuer’s footfalls had faded as they ran, but remained audible the entire time. It was a subtle reminder that, whatever they decided to do, they had to get it done fast.<br/>
<br/>
Now that they had escaped from the lion’s den, and he’d somehow managed to protect his charge from that self-destructive nobility of hers, Torchwick was ready to declare that this had been a positive experience for Weiss. There was no shame in having faith in humanity while you were young and stupid, but it was only a matter of time before people betrayed that faith. Problem was, a lot of poor dumb kids didn’t survive that initial betrayal.<br/>
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Weiss was in pain, because betrayal always hurts, but she was <em>alive.</em> Torchwick had to believe she would understand him now. Rich, poor, people were all the same: ever looking out for themselves. She should join the club while she can.<br/>
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“So, remember what I said about wanting to talk?” He said, watching the path they’d escaped while Weiss rested.<br/>
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“I do. What’s wrong?” Weiss was a little breathless. She’d been training for weeks, but this was her first actual battle since her escape, and it was clear the exertion was taking its toll on her.<br/>
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“You get it now, right? We got set up and left to die.” As Torchwick spoke he could see the muscles in her face tighten. <em>Sorry to rub salt in a fresh wound, Snowflake, but you need to face it. </em>He thought. “Listen, you have something you need to do, right? Don’cha want to get a lead on your friends? They could be anywhere, and they could need your help, right? Well, funny enough, I also have something I need to do- I really need my body back! Neither of us has any time to waste, and this fight is pointless. You get what I’m saying, right?”<br/>
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Weiss pressed her back against the limestone wall and sank to a sitting position on the ground, her gaze downcast and thoughtful. He’d expected her to object by now, but she remained silent. That was progress, right?<br/>
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“Listen, not to be a broken record, but let’s run away. If the airship is still out of commission, we can just steal the craft I told you about. I can walk you through hot-wiring it. Hell, I can walk you through flying it. We can get you to Mistral! We can put this whole mess behind us.”<br/>
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More silence. Nothing about Weiss’ expression changed, save for a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. She wore a wooden face, and Torchwick could only guess at what she was thinking.<br/>
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“You think we should just leave? Leave that...thing in the mountains, drop everything, and just mind our own business?” She finally spoke. The words were the kind of protest he’d come to from her whenever he gave her excellent advice, but her voice was listless.<br/>
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“Yes! I’m quite enthusiastic in my support of the ‘cut and run’ plan.” Torchwick nodded and gestured toward the exit. “Look, if you really feel bad about leaving Grimm here, we can just come back later. A few months from now-- or years! Yeah, I’m thinking ‘years’ may be better-- you can come back with your friends and all the dust you can carry. I’m sure that monster will still be around. She seems weirdly unmotivated, as Grimm go.”</p>
<p><br/>
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<p>“...and what about the village? What happens to them if we leave now?” Weiss shook her head.<br/>
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Torchwick felt something snap inside his brain. He stared at Weiss with his emerald eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, shaking his head. She can’t have just asked that. Surely he misheard her.<br/>
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“Are you listening to yourself right now, Ice Queen?” He attempted to speak in his usual cool, detached tone, but his voice came out in a frustrated hiss. The two of them had been together for a month, give or take. He was a guest in her presence, allowed to remain only by her mercy, and-- damn it!-- he was trying to respect that. He was!<br/>
<br/>
Yes, the two of them had been together for a month, and for that entire time he’d held himself back each time he wanted to challenge her naive heroism. She was just young! She hadn’t experienced the real world yet! As long as he was patient, eventually she’d understand that he was just trying to help her.<br/>
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Confronted by that brainless nobility even now, Torchwick was equal parts frustrated and terrified. A dam within his brain began to burst, and before he could even entertain the thought of restraining himself the words started to pour out of him.</p>
<p><br/>
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<p>“‘What about the village’? ‘<em>What about the village’!? FUCK</em> the village, Snowflake! Every last one of those inbred yokels deserves a one-way trip to the deepest trench in hell! You should burn this entire mountain to the ground before the Grimm even get the chance! These people just tried to kill you! How can this situation not <em>infuriate </em>you? They did it with a smile! One of them embraced you with the same hands she used to sabotage you!”<br/>
<br/>
In the moment, his thoughts and feelings were flowing unfiltered. His voice was loud and trembling, but from exasperation, rather than anger. The outburst shocked Weiss, who met his gaze with wide eyes as he spoke, but said nothing.<br/>
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“Please. Please! I want to understand you. You’ve suffered so much. You’ve been hurt and repressed over and over again ever since you were a kid! How can you <em>still</em> be like this after all this time? I know you’re not stupid. Are you a masochist? Are you suicidal? Have you convinced yourself that a wasted death is the only way you can ‘atone for your family’s sins’?<br/>
<br/>
“I know you, Ice Queen. I know you so, so, so much better than I ever wanted to, and the more I know, the less I understand. You’re free now! You just finished fighting for your freedom from one jackass who doesn’t care about you, and now you’re selling your soul to a whole pack of jackasses who don’t care about you? How many times does the world have to <em>screw</em> you before you finally realize that the only way to survive is to start screwing it back!?” As his tirade came to a close he felt a strange energy fill him. His body suddenly felt lighter, and a warmth spread from his core to his extremities.<br/>
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Weiss listened to him patiently, waiting until it was evident he was finished before she closed her eyes and sighed. She pressed her hands against the wall behind her and pushed herself back up onto her feet.<br/>
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“You know,” She began, looking down at her sword. “I think I can finally put into words what it is about you that I’ve never liked.”<br/>
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“Something you don’t like? About me? Impossible! Was it the reckless disregard for human life? Maybe one of my many felonies?” Torchwick smirked, tilting his shoulders upward and extending his arms in a shrug. He was a bit embarrassed that he’d let himself go unfiltered for a moment, there. Feigning calm, regardless of circumstance, was a trademark of his criminal persona, and he had to get back on brand.<br/>
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“Don’t do that.” She said, so firmly that he jerked backward a bit. “You’re putting up your shield again. That’s not fair. I heard you out, now it’s your turn to hear me out.”</p>
<p>Putting his shield up? The hell did that mean? He was prepared to argue with her, but she turned to him suddenly, and their eyes found each other. Weiss’ gaze was like a frozen lake: cold, calm, and blue. Deep as well… so deep that he feared he was being pulled inside her. Faced with eyes like that, his fighting spirit dampened a bit.<br/>
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“Alright, fine. Do your worst.” He conceded with a sigh. He extended a palm outward, beckoning her to continue. Weiss turned away from him and looked down the path they’d traveled. The sound of their pursuers was still a distance off, but growing louder now. He’d forced himself to maintain their eye contact the entire time, but couldn’t deny he felt a deep relief wash over him when she finally looked away.</p>
<p><br/>
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<p>“All you ever talk about is how terrible everything is. ‘People suck!’ ‘There’s no point in trying to help each other because at the end of the day, the world is rotten!’ I bet you think you’re the wisest man in the world, don’t you? But, gee, that sure is convenient for you, isn’t it, <em>Roman?”</em></p>
<p>Torchwick shuddered. The way she said his name had some strong ‘disappointed mother’ vibes. Come to think of it, she’d been calling him ‘Roman’ for a while now, hadn’t she? When the hell did that start? A familiar pain began to fill his head, forcing him to close his eyes.<br/>
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“You never have to examine yourself. You never have to worry about whether you’re doing the right thing! Why should you? After all, if you screw someone over, you just did it before they could, right? You’re not a terrible person, it’s the whole world that’s terrible! You get to do whatever the hell you want, and if something looks hard, well, you have a perfect excuse for why you don’t even need to try! You think you have everything figured out, but you’re just a selfish, lazy coward.”<br/>
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Weiss’ voice began to waver, and as she started to pace back and forth, Torchwick could see that her small hands were clenched tightly into fists. The knuckles of the fingers gripping her sword had gone pale from the pressure of her grip. Seemed he wasn’t the only who had been holding back frustration since they’d met…<br/>
<br/>
The pain in his head grew stronger still, and he found himself panicking. He pushed against the throbbing with all his will.<br/>
<br/>
<em>No! If you want to lecture me, I’ll let you. Yell at me as long as you want. Just, please, keep those emotions out of my head. I don’t want to lose myself again!<br/>
<br/>
</em>He rested his forehead against the palm of his hand, a deep grimace on his lips. Weiss had begun to lead them up toward the entrance now. It seemed their break time was running out. He followed behind her as she walked, and the sound of their footsteps echoed through the cavern.<br/>
<br/>
“You want to know how I can go through this without getting mad? I <em>can’t! </em>I’m furious with all of them for tricking me, and I’m hurt that they lied to me.<em>” </em>After a few moments of silence she continued. All the force was gone from her voice now, replaced by a wistful, passionate sadness. She cast a look over her shoulder, and Torchwick could see that she was only barely restraining tears.</p>
<p>“But has it ever occurred to you to stop and wonder <em>why</em> people do the things they do? Maybe when someone does something terrible, it’s not for literally the worst reason you can think of! Maybe they’re trapped? Maybe they’re scared? Maybe they feel helpless? I know all of those feelings, how about you?<br/>
<br/>
“So yeah, I’m angry! And I’m sad. And I’m going to save them. Even if they hate me, and even if they tried to kill me. Because I don’t think the world is a cruel place, and even if I did, I would never stop trying to make it better. Understand!? You should stop pretending you know the world, and you should sure as <em>hell</em> stop pretending you know me! I’m not even sure you’re capable of caring about anyone that isn’t yourself!”<br/>
<br/>
Understand? Of course Torchwick didn’t understand! How could she be this way? Even if she was right, and people who hurt her may have sympathetic reasons for doing so, so what? You don’t owe anything to people who hurt you, Ice Queen! Feeling as if you do is how bad people manipulate you.<br/>
<br/>
He’d always assumed that the li’l huntress troupe were just a pack of idiots too blinded by their own perfect, privileged lives to realize how broken life was for everyone else. That was the only way people could say the kinds of things Little Red liked to say with a straight face, right?<br/>
<br/>
Weiss was different, though. She was like him… except richer and less handsome. So why?<br/>
<br/>
Torchwick crossed his arms and looked away, taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly. The pain in his head crested and began to fade. Once again memories had begun to spring unbidden to his mind. Still-images from a life he’d never lived. However, unlike the first time, where the experience lasted for minutes and washed him away, this time it was only for a moment.<br/>
<br/>
Team RWBY, Beacon Academy, feelings of happiness, longing, and nostalgia.<br/>
<br/>
An indecipherable mix of images and emotions? Fine, not like he needed any help being confused by her. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and picked up his pace, walking ahead of her as they neared the mouth of the cave.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Perhaps it was childish of him, but he hated letting another person have the last word in an argument, especially when someone calls him out like this. When he tried to call upon his anger and frustration to find a rebuttal, though, he was at a loss for words. Whether it be because of the pain or his own confusion, Roman Torchwick was at a loss for words! It was a situation he’d never found himself in before, and he didn’t like it one bit.<br/>
<br/>
<em>What am I supposed to say if you look at me like tha</em><em>t? </em>His thoughts fell back to the look in her eyes, and his frown deepened. Continuing to fight despite feeling like that? What an incomprehensible person. The energy he’d felt earlier began to circulate in his body again.<br/>
<br/>
“Roman!” Weiss called out from behind him, suddenly excited about something, “Your hand!”<br/>
<br/>
His hand? Torchwick turned his head. It seemed that while he was walking, he’d absentmindedly begun to press his hand against the wall. He took a few more steps, watching as his gloved fingertips glided against the smooth stone for a few more seconds before he was finally stricken by the realization of why Weiss was surprised.<br/>
<br/>
He was touching the wall! His frown immediately reversed as he leaned his upper body forward, pressing his palm firmly against the rock, feeling the pressure of the hard surface through his glove. Worried it might be some kind of fluke, he knelt down, looking for something he could hold in his hand. When he found a small block of rotten wood he reached out for it, laughing in triumph as his fingers wrapped around it without incident and he raised it up to his eyes.<br/>
<br/>
“My hands are back online!” He pumped his free fist in triumph, looking back at Weiss and cackling. He pressed the wooden block against his forehead, and then his chest. It wasn’t just his hands, it was everything! He’d regained the use of his entire body! He focused on making his hand become intangible again, watched the block fall through him, then immediately reached down to pick it up again.<br/>
<br/>
Full control! Just like with the parts of himself he’d already been able to use. Even through the high of excitement he was confused. Why now? What was different about now that he hadn’t already tried at some point in the past month? Happy as he was, he feared that if he didn’t manage to figure out how this had happened, he could end up losing it.<br/>
<br/>
Torchwick turned back to Weiss, surprised to find that she was wearing a grin so broad it could rival his own. Her eyes were focused on the object in his hand, but seemed to be looking beyond it as she nodded her head.<br/>
<br/>
“Roman! We can fight her now!” She said, eager elation dripping from her as she ran up and gripped his wrist. Normally he had a rule about letting people touch his coat, but eh! This was basically a holiday. He’d let it slide. Weiss was practically hopping with excitement as she finished, “With this we can win!<br/>
<br/>
“Can we? I’m glad to hear you think so highly of me, but I’ve never actually tried punching a Grimm before. You know, I miss my weapon! Not as much as my hat, but a lot, regardless.” Torchwick pondered her enthusiasm. Sure, he was a lot more useful now that he had opposable thumbs, but that didn’t really make him much better in a fight. He had a gal he could outsource the CQC to, back when he was alive.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>Weiss laughed, less in amusement at his words and more in general happiness at whatever realization she’d just had. She briskly approached one of the wooden support beams that had begun to fray in its old age, pulling at the split until she had jerked a two-foot spear of wood free. She investigated her work, nodding enthusiastically at the good job she’d apparently done.<br/>
<br/>
“Your hands should be more than enough!” She reassured him. “Now come on! We don’t have a lot of time, and we’ll only get one chance at this.”<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
“Oh?” Aibell gave an amused snort as she neared the end of the narrow shaft, finding Weiss standing in wait. The Fable took up so much of the limited space within the connective halls of the mine that her tendrils were nearly pinned to her back, and the Death Stalkers that attempted to crawl past her couldn’t find enough space to squirm free. “I was certain your intent was to try to flee. Yet here you wait? You’ve even allowed me to travel to the end of this bothersome corridor rather than assault me within it. To what do I owe your consideration, child?”<br/>
<br/>
Attacking her within the more confined space was a tactical option, to be sure, but it would have posed its own set of dangers. While Aibell’s tendrils and tail were kept in check by the tight space, her long neck and sharp fangs were still dangerous, while Weiss’ mobility would also be limited. Likewise, if Weiss accidentally triggered a cave-in while fighting within the shaft, she wouldn’t have been able to escape it.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>That was why she had to make her stand here: Weiss was standing before the mouth of the hall, in the natural cavern that made up the entrance to the mine. As Aibell made her approach, Weiss would have to halt her advance, keeping the beast within the shaft until Torchwick could reach the mark she’d assigned him. If Aibell managed to force her way into the open cavern, or if Weiss missed her target when Torchwick gave the signal, there was a very real chance that Weiss would be dead within the hour.<br/>
<br/>
Weiss said nothing to creature, merely turned to Torchwick and gave him a meaningful stare. He nodded his understanding, and began running forward. As he did, an enormous glyph formed before Weiss, and her summon began to take form.<br/>
<br/>
This one was much larger than the first: taking the form of a humanoid creature whose body was composed of several sheets of plated white armor. The joints where the individual components fit together offered small glimpses into the interior of the body, revealing hollow blackness within. When its summon was complete it stood before its master, thrice her height and twice her width, and brandished a sword almost the same size as itself.<br/>
<br/>
This was that new summon of hers… Torchwick had seen a bit of it during the Ice Queen’s training sessions, but this would be his first time seeing it in action. The way she reacted to this big guy was different to the others, though so subtly that Torchwick couldn’t be sure he wasn’t imagining it. There was probably a story there, but at the end of the day he never asked and she never volunteered the information, so it was just a baseless hunch he had.<br/>
<br/>
At any rate, the moment Weiss completed the summon, it lurched forth as quickly as its gargantuan size would allow, and kept pace with Torchwick as the two of them ran into the mine shaft. The iron giant ran a few yards into the confined space before he came to a stop, slamming most of the length of his great sword down into the stone ground before himself. He then shambled around it, standing before the weapon with his back pressed against the flat of the blade, legs spread wide, and arms crossed.<br/>
<br/>
It was a posture that made the Ice Queen’s strategy clear, and as Aibell charged toward the giant she roared in contemptuous amusement.<br/>
<br/>
“You seek to forestall me? Such cheek!” She slammed into the giant with all the force she could muster, causing the grinding sound of metal on stone to echo through the cavern as the summon’s feet began to slide backward. “Humans ever insist upon forcing me to exert myself! I shall remember this strain while I’m severing your limbs from your body!”<br/>
<br/>
Aibell only gained a few inches on her initial charge, at most. Weiss’ summon had held firm and blocked her path, but she continued to push against him all the while, fanged maw snapping at the inanimate body, and broad shoulders pressing upward. Within a few seconds the giant was already pressed firmly against his sword, and the weapon was already creaking ominously, threatening to snap from the force placed upon it.<br/>
<br/>
Best case scenario, Torchwick had a minute or two to find his mark… but that was fine! He was a man who never failed to execute a heist. He left the summon to its work and continued down the shaft, sliding under Aibell’s body without attracting so much as a sidelong glance from her. Behind her, a dozen Death Stalkers were packed about the ground, trying in vain to slip themselves around her. Torchwick ignored them, and began to look at the walls, trying to find the pillar Weiss had told him about.<br/>
<br/>
“Loathe though I am to give up an easy life, I promised the village I would move on if they offered me your head.” Torchwick could hear Aibell continue to taunt Weiss behind him as he looked around. Trying to make her concentration waver? “’Tis for the best. Humans can be compelled to sacrifice one another easily, but when they do I must always settle for the elderly and infirm. I do not lament this, for meat is meat, but—oh!-- how I long to taste a child’s flesh again!”<br/>
<br/>
More sounds of metal on stone, more groans of effort and frustration, and finally a loud <em>snap </em>as the sword behind the giant finally gave way.</p>
<p><em>Stay strong, Snowflake. I’m almost done.</em> Torchwick grew more frantic as he headed down the tunnel. He was nearing the limit of their tether before he finally saw it. On the right side of the wall was a wooden support pillar much more rotten than the rest. The wood was chipped, blackened, soggy, and the center of the pillar was swelling out from the strain of the weight it was resisting.<br/>
<br/>
Torchwick nodded triumphantly as he approached the pillar, reaching into his coat and producing the two-foot stick Weiss had broken off earlier. The flashlight Erica had given them was tied to the end of it now, making the combined length of the makeshift pole almost a yard now. He depressed the button behind the flashlight’s head, watching the circle of light illuminate the world around him.<br/>
<br/>
Weiss had tested the flashlight before telling Torchwick the plan, and he’d been genuinely shocked it worked. The village seemed hellbent on screwing them over, but now if the Ice Queen managed to survive this stupid battle it would be because of their help. With Weiss almost thirty feet away, and an active battle going on between them, she was going to have a hard enough time hitting the tiny target he would be giving her, even without light.<br/>
<br/>
Torchwick took a deep breath. A gesture that accomplished nothing for his dead ass, physically, but served to relax him, all the same. He reached out and pressed his right palm flat against the wooden pillar before him, then extended his body outward, turning toward the battle between Aibell and the summon.</p>
<p><br/>
The Fable’s bulk took up most of the hall, and her army crowded the space between her legs, but there was just a bit of space between her back and the ceiling above. The area was too narrow for her to use her tendrils in combat here, but would be more than enough for Weiss’ shot to fit through! Torchwick shifted his grip to the very bottom of the stick in his hand, raising it up as high as he could and turning the head of the flashlight to face the entrance of the cavern.<br/>
<br/>
There were only two details of Weiss’ big scheme that they couldn’t know in advance. The first was whether the stick she’d fashioned would divert enough energy downward to destroy the pillar. The second was whether or not ghosts could conduct electricity.<br/>
<br/>
As Torchwick watched the bolt of lightning Weiss sent his way, he quickly learned the answers to both mysteries. The propelled lightning dust caused the room to flash so brightly that he was momentarily blinded, but he was able to see it slam into the center of the flashlight’s glass reflector. The glass shattered, and in an instant the entire device was ripped into hunks of shrapnel that flew in all directions.<br/>
<br/>
Most of the bolt’s energy continued down the mineshaft, but the poor flashlight succeeded in redirecting just enough of it down the stick and into Torchwick’s body. The sensation of pins and needles shot through his spine. It wasn’t ‘pain’, really (ever since his revival, he’d never felt pain unless the trigger was something psychological), but it didn’t feel good, either. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to maintain his grip on both the stick in his left hand and the pillar in his right as the electricity ran its course.<br/>
<br/>
The rotten wood of the pillar easily caught flame as the lightning raced through it, and it exploding into a fountain of splinters as the energy ran through it and into the wall of the cavern. The plan had actually worked better than they’d anticipated, as they managed to redirect enough energy to shatter not only their targeted pillar, but the wooden pillars on either side of it down the wall, as well. By the time the current finally left his body and allowed him to collapse to the floor, an eerie rumbling was already flooding the air within the shaft.<br/>
<br/>
The poorly maintained pillars, the delicate equilibrium they’d barely maintained for decades now destroyed, began to snap under the increased pressure placed on them. One after another after another. Each snapped pillar caused the rumbling to grow louder, the walls beginning to quake as large chunks of rock started to rain down within the narrow passageway. Aibell finally thought to cast her gaze backwards, noticing Torchwick’s presence for the first time since she’d started fighting Weiss’ giant, and instantly realized her mistake.<br/>
<br/>
“Ah! Your aim was-” The normally measured creature couldn’t conceal the panic in her voice as she realized the error she’d made. She probably assumed Weiss’ lightning was simply off-target because she was trying to avoid hitting her summon! Aibell charged even more fiercely into the giant, forcing him to cede more and more ground as she attempted to claw her way out of the shaft and into the open cave before her.<br/>
<br/>
All the while more and more rocks fell, crushing Death Stalkers underneath them as the passage began to collapse in on itself. Torchwick felt himself panic out of instinct, but reminded himself that he was the only thing in the mine right now that didn’t need to worry about dying in a cave-in. Aibell’s aura was manifested around her, shielding her from the debris, but-- as more and more of the ceiling above began to collapse upon her-- that thin layer of protection simply wasn’t enough.<br/>
<br/>
It felt like hours, but over the course of a few seconds, the entire passage had collapsed into a heap of rubble around them.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
“Snowflake? Snowflake!?” Torchwick popped through the heap of rocks he’d been phasing through, sighing with relief as he finally broke into the open space of the cavern. The cave-in had kicked up a thick cloud of dust that obscured his vision almost as badly as being buried in rubble had.<br/>
<br/>
“Roman! Over here!” He heard her call out, followed by a hacking cough. Groping through the fog in the direction of her voice, he found her leaning against a far wall, the collar of her coat pulled up over her face in an effort to shield her lungs from the debris. He flashed her a playful wink as he approached her.<br/>
<br/>
“I think we can call that a flawless victory.” He said with a relieved laugh, resting against the wall beside her. “Not the most elegant scheme I’ve ever been party to, but bonus points for creativity! A proper evil plan is 10% preparation and 90% improvisation, after all.”<br/>
<br/>
“Hmph. There was nothing evil about my plan, you undead crook.” Weiss replied indignantly, turning up her nose at his words. She rubbed her eyes and peered through the haze surrounding them. “Did you see Aibell?”<br/>
<br/>
They carefully walked together, back toward the collapsed mine. The dirt kicked up by the cave-in finally began to settle, and as they approached they could see the familiar shape of the great Fable beneath the rocks. She had managed to escape from the shaft, though only far enough that her head, neck, and forelegs had managed to reach freedom. All of her body behind her shoulders was crushed under the weight of the rocks above her, giving her an appearance that reminded Torchwick of a half-consumed tube of toothpaste.<br/>
<br/>
Aibell’s eyes remained alert, even in spite of her condition, however. As they approached her, she glared at them, opening her mouth to roar, but instead coughing violently. She continued to cough and spasm until she wretched, coughing up a black, tar-like substance that ate away at the stone beneath her.<br/>
<br/>
“To be undone in a place like this...” Where before the Fable’s voice was so fearsome as to make her surroundings shake, it was now weak and deflated. Her words were slurred, and the act of speech seemed to stir fluids in her chest. “Were my exalted siblings to see me brought to such a state by a single human, I’d doubtless hear no end of their laughter.”<br/>
<br/>
She attempted to laugh at herself, but was rewarded for the effort by more spasms, and another spray of black liquid forcing its way from her mouth. After she recomposed herself, she cast an eye toward Weiss.<br/>
<br/>
“As you have slain me, accept my parting advice, child: cease your alliance with that Fugitive. The body is not meant to house two souls within itself. You do so at your own peril… if you remain together, there will be irreversible consequences.”<br/>
<br/>
Aibell’s slit-like eye began to dilate, but she forced it to focus again, shifting her glance from Weiss to Torchwick. She let out a labored breath and attempted to lift her head from the ground, but failed to find the strength.<br/>
<br/>
“...and you. Mistress Scathach pitied you, and turned a blind eye to your escape. My fellows will not. You’ve disturbed our mother, and now, you’ve murdered their kin. Know that I will never forgive you. As you struggle to escape your death, you will bring suffering and lamentation to those you love most. When the day comes that you realize the futility of your efforts, and fall into despair, you will know that Aibell’s grudge is finally repaid.”<br/>
<br/>
“...Really? <em>Really!?”</em> Torchwick sighed. He turned his thumb toward himself, then pointed to Weiss. “You give her life advice, and give me a death curse? Seems a bit unfair. The Ice Queen did way more to put you in the ground than I did.”<br/>
<br/>
<em>Bit of a wasted curse, regardless. </em>He thought with a wry smile. <em>Didn’t you hear her earlier? I’m not capable of caring about anyone. </em></p>
<p>The beast offered only a raspy breath in response. It seemed the strain of talking was too great for her to indulge his love of complaining. Torchwick turned to Weiss, surprised to see a sorrowful frown on her lips. The huntress stepped toward the creature, drawing her weapon in solemn silence.<br/>
<br/>
Why was she so upset? She’d killed plenty of Grimm before, and Aibell hadn’t done a lot to make herself especially sympathetic.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>...Ah! Now he understood.<br/>
<br/>
“You’ve done enough, Snowflake. I can finish her. It’s my fault she’s here, after all.” Torchwick stepped up behind Weiss, putting his hand on her shoulder. Killing a conscious creature wasn’t something completely foreign to Weiss, but doing it quite like this was probably new to her. Finishing off an enemy you mortally wounded could be emotionally taxing for these heroic types.<br/>
<br/>
It would be better for him to free her from that burden. This was nothing to someone like him, who had killed many people far less deserving than this monster. To his surprise though, Weiss simply looked back at him with a weak smile and shook her head. Then she pulled herself free of his grip and stepped toward Aibell.<br/>
<br/>
“You would offer me the mercy of a swift end? My gratitude. Strike true, huntress, for my suffering is immeasurable.” Aibell’s voice was barely more than a gurgling whisper now. Weiss maintained her guard as she approached the downed creature, just in case she might attempt a final attack, but Aibell merely extended her neck and closed her eyes.<br/>
<br/>
“O’ Mother, I return the soul you burdened me with…”<br/>
<br/>
Weiss took two more steps toward Aibell, raised her sword in her hand, and brought it down in an arcing slash. The Fable’s body jerked, fell still, and began to evaporate into a miasma of black energy, leaving only Weiss and Torchwick alive within the cave. For a moment, the two stood in silence.<br/>
<br/>
The talking Grimm was slain. Her army crushed. Weiss had accomplished a mission that was meant to kill her, and she’d done it with just four vials of dust. Perhaps it was all a fluke, maybe it was simply dumb luck that saw him regain the full use of his body at such a pivotal time, but there could be no denying that she’d done something pretty special today.<br/>
<br/>
“Well, let’s go back. It’s time to find my friends.” Weiss took a final moment to compose herself, then returned her sword to its sheath and turned away from the collapsed mine. As she began to walk, Torchwick moved along beside her.</p>
<p>For just a fraction of a moment, Torchwick felt the urge to say something heartfelt to her, but their discussion from before still hung over him. Perhaps they were too different to ever comprehend each other.<br/>
<br/>
Heartfelt or snide, though, he never found the time to say anything at all...<br/>
<br/>
Everything happened so quickly. One moment Weiss was walking beside him; in the next moment he was watching her fall. The ground beneath them cracked and collapsed away, leaving the two of them plummeting into the darkness below. Surprise and panic raced across Weiss’ face as she instinctively reached out for him. He extended his own hand in return, but was powerless to close the distance between them.<br/>
<br/>
How far did they fall? Two-hundred feet? Three-hundred? An underground water deposit must have drained away at some point in the past, leaving a cavity beneath the cavern. When they staged their cave-in, it weakened the floor beneath them, and turned it into a death trap.<br/>
<br/>
All of this was information that would have come naturally to Torchwick, were his brain functioning normally. In truth, however, his normally quick wit had become stuck on a single track. Watching their moment of triumph instantly vanish, replaced instead by panic and fear as someone close to him was swallowed by the open air, a single thought had taken root within his brain. It repeated endlessly.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Not again!</em>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>They finally reached the bottom of the pit they’d fallen into, with Torchwick’s ghostly self landing harmlessly on his feet. Weiss’ fall was quite a bit less graceful, and as he watched, she slammed into the ground, landing on her back atop a drift of accumulated snow and slush.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p><em>Not again! Not again!<br/>
<br/>
</em>Torchwick immediately jumped up onto his feet and dashed over to her. Aura could be counted on for protection here, as well… and was the only reason such a fall wouldn’t be instantly fatal to her, but it couldn’t erase all the force of impact. He had no idea how badly hurt she was.<br/>
<br/>
He closed the distance between them, so panicked that he nearly tripped over his own feet in the act, and fell to his knees beside her. Weiss’ eyes were open, meeting his own as he looked down at her, but she made no expression. As her eyelids began to flutter closed, a visceral fear overtook him, and he found himself shouting.<br/>
<br/>
“WEISS!!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Cognitive Dissonance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss dreams of two lives, and struggles to tell the difference between them.  A little girl struggles in her prison of abuse, and a little boy struggles in his prison of loneliness.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Weiss Schnee</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“WEISS!!”<br/><br/>She was feeling sleepy, and had a hard time forming words in her head, let alone understanding speech. Even then, she definitely recognized that someone was calling her name. She looked over and saw Torchwick kneeling beside her. He was shaking, chin dimpled as he frowned, and looking down at her intensely. It was, perhaps, the most sincere display of concern she’d ever seen from him.<br/><br/>...Wait, did he just call her ‘Weiss’? Had he ever done that before? Wow, something must be <em>really</em> wrong, then. She chuckled to herself as sheabsently wondered what had him so upset.</p><p> </p><p>Oh well. She was suddenly very tired. He’d just have to wait until morning to tell her what was wrong. She allowed the weight that was pulling at her eyelids to finally have its way, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.<br/><br/>Warmth and peace. She was in a good place.<br/><br/>The ground beneath her seemed to turn into gelatin and suck her inside, pulling her away at a gentle, relaxing pace. She floated along through the inky darkness all around her, feeling an intense euphoria. There was a strange, nagging sensation that she was forgetting something really important, but she let it get swept away. If she didn’t remember something, it must not be important, right?<br/><br/>As her descent continued, the blackness she was traveling in began to slowly light up; nothingness gave way to familiar sights and sounds. She watched as the halls of the Schnee family manor flickered into existence around her. It was strangely comforting to see her old home again, given how hard she’d fought to escape it.<br/><br/></p><p><em>Escape it?</em> <br/><br/>That sense of forgetting something surfaced in her mind again. When did she escape? What had she been doing? Confusion was creating fear in her heart, which was displacing that pleasing warmth that had been filling her chest ever since she closed her eyes. She shook her head and forced those feelings back into the pit they came from. It wasn’t important. All that mattered was that she was home!<br/><br/>Yes, her home. Those long, winding hallways of blue marble. Wide, empty space. Servants who never made eye contact. A mother who gradually pulled away from her. A sister whom she loved dearly, but who suddenly vanished. A father who…<br/><br/>As her thoughts fell on him, Jacques Schnee appeared within the home the void had crafted. The tall man’s icy gaze narrowed in anger as he stomped down the hall. He was younger than when she’d seen him last, but still old, with thinned hair and the same push-broom mustache he’d worn for as long as she’d been alive.<br/><br/>“Where do you get the utter temerity required to embarrass me like this!?” He spat. He shook his head and increased his pace. He had a young girl by the wrist, and as he increased his speed her tiny legs struggled to keep up.<br/><br/>“I’m sorry! Please, you’re hurting me!” The girl offered a meek protest as she was pulled along, tears falling down her pale cheeks.<br/><br/>Weiss remembered this… this was her. When she was 9 years old she’d been invited to a gala ball the SDC was hosting. It was one of the first times she’d ever been allowed to attend a company event, and she was quite excited to experience a party! She was finally going to be a proper grown-up like Winter. Her father had forbidden her to speak without his approval, but even that didn’t dampen her spirits.<br/><br/>Then it happened…</p><p> </p><p>Children are innocent, you know? She hadn’t had any ill-intent in her heart when she said it; she hadn’t even realized she was saying anything hurtful at all. When Weiss saw that nice old lady, she sincerely believed she had painted in her makeup to dress like a zombie, and moreover thought the woman had done an excellent job! Sadly, the councilwoman didn’t take her compliment the way she’d hoped. She got mad, and Weiss’ father, well…<br/><br/>“I’m sorry. I said I was sorry! Please slow down. You’re hurting me!” The little girl’s voice was broken with sobs as she struggled along behind him. He was pulling at her arm so fiercely she feared he may rip it off. <br/><br/>Her pleas for mercy only seemed to antagonize him further, though. He didn’t slow his pace, instead hissing in disgust as he looked back at her. <br/><br/>“You are the single most selfish brat I’ve ever seen in my life!” He roared, his eyes full of nothing but anger. “Pain isn’t important. You’re not important. The only thing that matters is reputation. Are you capable of comprehending what you did today? If the councilwoman withdraws her support of my proposal, one of our biggest buyers may back out of their contract! Oh, but that’s okay, right? I may as well gather the shareholders now and tell them ‘our market share is shrinking, but it’s fine! My daughter said she was sorry!’”<br/><br/>“I’m sorry!” Weiss repeated again, overtaken by fear and anxiety. She still didn’t fully understand what she’d done, and her father’s complicated speech did little to help her.<br/><br/>“STOP APOLOGIZING!!” He slowed his walk abruptly and raised his hand. Weiss instinctively shrunk away. Her father had never hit her before, but when he got angry like this, she was always afraid he may. Seeing her complete terror, the older man paused and lowered his arm. A glint of regret and self awareness flashed in his eyes, though that lasted only a moment before he huffed angrily.<br/><br/>“Bad choices have bad consequences. Shut up, stop thinking, and obey your father. Stop complaining about how much it hurts. If the consequences of your actions start getting painful, you have no one to blame but yourself.”<br/><br/>They continued down the hall until they got to her bedroom. He opened the door and threw her into the darkness within. The little girl attempted to regain her balance as she was thrown, but couldn’t adjust to the force, and tripped over her feet, falling face-first onto the ground.<br/><br/>“I don’t want to see you again for the rest of the night. I don’t want to hear you again for the rest of the week.” The hot fury was replaced by a cool, simmering anger as he cut his eyes toward his daughter, not even feigning concern for whether the fall had hurt her. He shut the door without another word, locked it, and walked away.<br/><br/>Weiss didn’t even bother climbing up onto her bed. She just curled up into a ball on the floor and began to weep. <br/><br/><em>That was when I realized that my family had changed. Or maybe that it had always been broken…<br/><br/></em>Weiss banished this memory from her surroundings, watching as the familiar sight of her home faded back into darkness. When only the poor, weeping child remained, she looked at her thoughtfully, but soon even the girl faded. <br/><br/>What was going on? Where was she? Now she was certain she was forgetting something, and her inability to recall it made her tremble. This place she was in was… wrong. She wasn’t sure why, but she knew it wasn’t real.<br/><br/>The darkness around her was already beginning to shift again. A bright blue sky erupted into existence above her. A gentle breeze began to blow, carrying cool, fragrant air across her body. The ground beneath her changed from black to brown, with the stalks of plants pushing up in all directions. She was standing in a field of… wheat? It was hard to tell, since harvest season had already come and gone by now. Oh, and also, the field was on fire. <br/><br/>That’s right, she remembered now. This wasn’t a place Weiss Schnee had ever seen, but she remembered it all the same. This was a memory of Roman Torchwick.<br/><br/>When he was 12 years old, he’d happened upon an abandoned aircraft near the edge of his hometown. As a bored, lonely kid with nothing better to do, he’d spent weeks repairing it. He was going to take it and fly somewhere far away. Change his name and do something great!<br/><br/>Well, the best laid plans of mice and men…<br/><br/>He’d gotten into the air easily enough, using an empty pasture as a runway and launching himself upward. Sadly, he only airborne for ten seconds before he came crashing down in a nearby field. The crash wasn’t as bad as it could have been-- Roman got a few cuts and bruises, but crawled out of the shattered cockpit no worse for the wear. However, the heat from the engine and the leaking fuel had set the plants on fire around him, and he was forced to escape from a cloud of smoke as he crawled away. <br/><br/>Weiss felt herself pulled into the mind of the little boy, watching through his eyes as he pushed his way out the shattered side window and crawled through the smoke, coughing and hacking. He got far enough away that he no longer felt the heat, and turned back to look at the mess he’d made, starting to panic despite himself.<br/><br/>“Well, well. Y’know, I had a feeling it was you!” A man’s voice, deep, stern, but kind, echoed behind him. Roman felt his heart stop as he gasped, turning around to see his dad walking toward him.<br/><br/>The figure that approached him was clearly supposed to be his father, but he had no definition as Weiss watched the memory play out. He looked like a humanoid shape composed of the darkness that made up this place, pantomiming the actions Roman’s father was supposed to take<br/><br/>She racked her brain to try to remember what he’d looked like, but a sharp pain shot through her. It was as if she was trespassing into a place that was deeply personal, and some kind of defense mechanism was forbidding her from access what she was looking for. <br/><br/>Why though? This was her memory, right? Well, it was the memory of ‘Roman Torchwick’, but… wasn’t <em>she </em>Roman Torchwick?</p><p> </p><p>Wait, no! That was wrong! Her head began to throb as she tried to remember who she was. Fear growing so turbulent within her that she abandoned the thought, returning to the memory playing out before her. <br/><br/>“Is it gonna be okay?” The little boy asked, watching the fire slowly spread along the field. His dad laughed, patting his shoulder reassuringly.<br/><br/>“Oh, it ain’t no thing. The soil’s damp, and the yield’s already harvested. Us grown-ups will have the fire under control well before it gets anywhere dangerous. Heck, in the grand scheme of things, you might’a done him a favor. Burning the plants like this’ll enrich the soil for next year.”<br/><br/>“Huh, alright.” Roman said evenly. He pushed himself up from the ground, brushing off his knees before turning away from the man and beginning to walk away. “Guess I’ll see you at home, then.”<br/><br/>“Nooooot so fast there, buddy-boy.” The shadow imitating his father clicked his tongue, reaching out a hand and gripping the back of his collar. Roman sighed and rolled his eyes.<br/><br/>“What? You said it was fine.” The boy protested. His father laughed. It was a kind, gentle sound. Reflecting a soul without an ounce of malice in it. <br/><br/>“It<em> is </em>fine, but you still just crashed a darn plane into your neighbor’s field! You know the rules: if we do wrong by someone, we apologize.” He released his son’s collar and instead rested his hand on his shoulder, walking beside him. “Come on, we’ll go do it together.”<br/><br/>The two of them began to walk away, watching as the other adults in the town began to run toward the growing fire. Torchwick’s dad took a deep breath, looking back at the wreckage of the aircraft once again.<br/><br/>“Seriously, though. I can’t believe you got that hunk’a scrap into the air.” He gave a soft chuckle and scratched the back of his head. “That’s definitely something else you got from your Mom.”<br/><br/>“Heh, disappointed that I didn’t get anything from you, old man?” Roman snickered in reply, narrowing his eyes and grinning mischievously. “Sorry. Mom’s cool. You’re kinda lame.”<br/><br/>His father furrowed his brow thoughtfully, responding to the provocation by setting his hand atop the boy’s head and tussling his hair roughly.<br/><br/>“You’re such a mean little guy!” He said playfully. “You’re wrong, too. I’ll thank you to know: you have <em>my</em> hair, you have <em>my </em>gender, and you have <em>my</em> soft heart. I’d say I contributed plenty, thank you very much… even if everything else came from your mom.”<br/><br/>“My heart ain’t soft, old man.” Came Roman’s flat reply, and he narrowed his eyes even further. This elicited nothing but an apologetic shrug from his father. <em><br/><br/>“</em>Okay, okay, I’m sorry. So tell me, my stone-hearted son, why are you off having aerial adventures by yourself on such a beautiful day? Call me old fashioned, but I remember a time when kids played outside together.”<br/><br/>Roman frowned and looked away, kicking the ground a bit as he walked. He had a long history of not getting along with other kids. In the best case scenario he would simply be shunned, or grow bored of what they were doing and distance himself. In the worst case scenario he would end up getting into a fight. The worst case scenario was much more common.<br/><br/>“Other kids suck.” He said, closing his eyes and forcing a smug expression onto his face. “They can’t keep up with my genius.”<br/><br/>“I see. That’s quite a pickle.” His dad replied sardonically, scratching his chin. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and looked down at the boy. “Even if you’re right though, it’s the same result in the end. Aren’t you lonely?”<br/><br/>“...No. Other people would just hold me back.” Roman’s gaze remained downcast as he puffed out his cheek. He’d just flown! While the other kids were busy hitting each other with sticks. His father softened his expression and shook his head gently. <br/><br/>“Look, you’re a smart kid. Maybe a little too smart, but I don’t think that means you can just live by yourself. Check it out.”<br/><br/>He gestured behind them. Roman turned and saw that the townsfolk who had gathered to quell his fire. A few of the neighboring farmers had gathered around: two had brought shovels they used to dig a trench around the blaze, while the rest passed along buckets of dirt and water they used to smother it out.<br/><br/>“People like to fight, but we always come together when it counts. It’s one of our better traits.” His father continued. “We aren’t really built to exist alone. Especially not a sensitive guy like you.”<br/><br/>Roman stopped, his deep green eyes thoughtfully watching the group frantically run about. After a moment he turned around and resumed his walk. He was always trying to play cool, but the old man never bought it.</p><p> </p><p>“I ain’t sensitive, either!” The boy adamantly corrected<br/><br/>“All I’m saying is that if you don’t get along with one group, try making your own. Didn’t you tell me about a haunted house in the old town a while back? Some little girl everyone was afraid of?”<br/><br/>“You mean the ghost girl?” Roman jerked his head in surprise. “I didn’t think you believed that.” <br/><br/>“Oh, ye of little faith!” Scoffed his father with a sly wink. “We didn’t find anything when we got together to search the houses, but I don’t think you’d lie to me about something like that. Honestly, if she <em>is</em> out there, I’d rather you found her. The old town is no place for children, and hey, maybe you two could become friends? Being friends with a ghost would be pretty cool, right?”<br/><br/>“Not interested.” Roman’s refusal was immediate, firm, and flat. The force of it took even his father by surprise, whose mouth hung open for a minute.<br/><br/>“Really? Didn’t even consider it! Don’t tell me you’re still going through your ‘girls have cooties’ phase.”<br/><br/>“Hmph! It’s not ‘cuz she’s a girl.” Roman corrected him, an indignant tone in his voice, as if offended that the old man could believe he was so unrefined. “It’s ‘cuz she’s weird.”<br/><br/>Once again his father looked upon him in shock, silence falling as he stared. Then he laughed. Not the light chuckle from earlier, but a full, resounding laugh so intense he had to grip his sides as he doubled over.<br/><br/>“And… and you think you’re <em>not</em>?” He wheezed, his body shaking as his laughter rendered him incapable of breathing. “Oh my gosh, that’s so cute. Son, you’re the weirdest person ever! You two’d be perfect for each other. She’s probably more lonely than you are. She has no friends, and unlike you, she doesn’t even have the worlds best dad and a perfectly adequate mom.”<br/><br/>“Y-yeah? Well, that’s her problem.” Roman blushed furiously as his father strained to take back control of his laughter. He halted his advance in a huff, turning away from the man and crossing his arms.<br/><br/>“So you say!” His dad replied in a sing-song tone. He took a few deep breaths, regaining enough of his composure that he could finally stand straight again. Every so often his chest would still spasm with a suppressed laugh, but he was much calmer now. “...But you and I both know that you’re going to go check on her now. You made up your mind as soon as I mentioned how lonely she was.”<br/><br/>He rested his elbows on his son’s shoulders, leaning over his body until his head hung upside down before the boy, their eyes meeting.<br/><br/>“Because, like I said, you inherited <em>my</em> big, soft heart.”<br/><br/>“Oh my god.” Roman grumbled, cradling his forehead in his palm as he let out an exasperated groan. “No, I didn’t, and no I’m not. I’m really not.”<br/><br/>“Uh-huh. When you find out how she’s doing make sure she’s eating right. Don’t be afraid to take her home with you.” His father stood again, resuming walking as if the whole matter was settled. “Just something to think about. It’s a lot easier to be a lone wolf when you have someone to be alone with.”<br/><br/>“That’s, uh… that’s really wise, old man.” Roman didn’t bother to argue any more, it was clear his father wouldn’t listen. He knew that the old man was wrong, though. He wasn’t such a soft-hearted fool that he would run off to talk to some creepy girl just because his dad made him worry about her.<br/><br/>The scene began to fade back into blackness, as abruptly as the first, leaving Weiss feeling bittersweet. Jacques Schnee-- the arrogant, pitiless man who cared about nothing except status and tried to control his children. That shadowy figure-- warm and kind, who thoughtfully tried to guide his son. They were about as different as it was possible for two humans to be, yet she remembered both as her father. The contradiction made her head throb, reminding her (yet again) that there was some important thing she was forgetting. <br/><br/>Oh, that’s right! For just a split second she became lucid again. She had been fighting. She had been falling. These memories weren’t all hers, were they? She wasn’t alone.<br/><br/>She wasn’t alone…<br/><br/>The thought was tinged with melancholy, causing that dark, cold manor to reappear around her. She returned to the position of nine-year-old Weiss Schnee, curled up on the floor in a dark bedroom, sobbing. A few hours had passed since she’d been locked inside, alone and confused about what she’d done or what she could do to make it better.</p><p> </p><p>Most of the gala had come and gone, with no one bothering to check on her. By now her eyes were red and puffy, and her chest hurt a little bit from the sobs wracking her lungs. Of course no one came… who would? She’d been bad. She should have listened.<br/><br/>Her stomach gurgled. Now that she’d had a few hours to calm down, she realized she’d been pulled out of the party before she had the chance to eat. She groggily crawled up to her bed and sat down, staring at the door. Her father probably wouldn’t care that she was hungry. Mother probably wouldn’t either, for that matter, but someone would notice eventually. Everyone couldn’t have forgotten about her, right?<br/><br/>As if reading her mind, she heard the sound of a key slipping into a lock, and watched as her doorknob turned. It wasn’t her mother who stepped through the door, though, and it certainly wasn’t her father.<br/><br/>“Klein slipped me the key. I can’t stay long, but I wanted to check on you.” Winter Schnee looked a lot like Weiss- long silver hair, pointed features, and cool blue eyes- but unlike her little sister she was already well into her teens. She stepped into the room and closed the door, turning the knob as she closed it in an effort to make as little noise as possible. Weiss had already begun to run toward her before she’d even finished the act, though, and as the older girl turned around her little sister jumped against her, embracing her tightly.<br/><br/>“Sis!” Weiss cried, loudly enough that it probably more than canceled out Winter’s attempt to be stealthy. Weiss had thought she had run out of tears by now, but found them flowing once again as she buried her face in Winter’s stomach. “I’m so sorry I embarrassed you. Father told me to stay quiet. He told me. I should have listened.”<br/><br/>“H-hey, now.” Winter stumbled over her words a little, returning her sister’s embrace for a moment before gripping her shoulders and gently prodding her to step back. “You’ve done no such thing, now compose yourself… a lady should endeavor to always control her emotions. How are you feeling?” <br/><br/>The child didn’t answer, but did her best to follow her sister’s guidance, wiping her eyes against the teenager’s cloak before stepping back and looking up at her with bloodshot eyes. Weiss’ face was visibly streaked by tears, and it clearly took all the self control at her disposal to prevent her lower lip from trembling.<br/><br/>“I see...” Winter’s expression darkened, and a glint of sadness reflected in her eyes. “Father can be imposing when he wants to be. I’m sorry you received the brunt of his fury today, Weiss. You didn’t deserve it. When I was young, I would craft a place inside my mind, and whenever he would turn his temper toward me, I’d hide away inside it.”</p><p> </p><p>“He yelled at you too?” Weiss couldn’t contain her shock. The notion of Winter doing anything wrong beggared her belief. Forget misbehaving, she wasn’t even sure she could picture her older sister failing at something! “But you’re perfect!”<br/><br/>This drew a wistful laugh from her sister, who shook her head gently. <br/><br/>“I have… my own battle with Father. Enough about that, though.” She unfastened her cloak and reached inside. Beneath the cloak, she was wearing a frilled white blouse and a black satin skirt that extended to her calves. Such formal wear implied she had come here directly from the party.<br/><br/>Winter fumbled within her clothing for a moment, producing a series of small packages carefully wrapped in tinfoil, which she pressed into her sister’s arms. Even through the covering, the sweet smell of cooked meat and spices tickled Weiss’ nose, reminding her of how famished she was.<br/><br/>“I asked the servants to prepare it; I had a feeling you might be hungry. You didn’t get the chance to eat before it happened, right?” <br/><br/>Weiss gave an affirmative nod, but otherwise was completely distracted by the food she’d been given, scampering over to her bedside table to lay everything out. Her big sister was so cool! For just a moment, the trauma of earlier that evening was completely forgotten. Winter watched Weiss with a contented smile for a few seconds, then slowly turned to leave.<br/><br/>“Stay strong, Weiss. You only have to endure him until you’re old enough to escape.” Winter’s voice was low and somber, and she took a deep breath as she opened the door again. As an adult, Weiss understood this aura of determined sadness. This was probably around the time her sister finally decided to join the military… a decision that irreparably damaged what relationship she’d had with her father.<br/><br/>As a child, Winter’s words only served to chill her. They made her think about a day when her big sister would leave their home, and she would truly be alone there. The thought distressed her so greatly she almost started crying again.</p><p> </p><p>The image began to change once again, shifting and warping as Weiss’ subconscious decided to jerk her into still another time and place.</p><p> </p><p>Loneliness, connection, smuggled food… Yes, it was a lot like that time, wasn’t it? The scene around her melted away. Up to now everything would fade to black first, but this time it was instantaneous. She watched her home change slowly, transmogrifying into a row of decrepit houses that ran the length of an overgrown, unpaved road.<br/><br/>The old town... the abandoned outskirts of Roman Torchwick’s hometown, which had fallen into disuse in the years following the Great War. After peace was restored, a healthy chunk of the population abandoned the hard life of a farmer for the ever-expanding technology and factory jobs in bigger cities, leaving their old homes behind to rot.</p><p> </p><p>These buildings, unused for decades, had fallen into disrepair, and the townsfolk who remained never ventured there. As a result, wilderness had begun to reclaim the land, and sometimes a stray Grimm would come sniffing about, enticed by the lingering regret and despair that remained.<br/><br/>The adults forbade their children to play there, for it was a dangerous place. Of course, when you tell kids not to go somewhere because it’s scary and exciting, you invite mischief, and groups of the local youth frequently ventured out to explore the old town. That was how the rumors of the ghost girl began.</p><p> </p><p>The kids had been playing hide and seek in the old town square, back in the spring of that year, when one of the local boys saw her: a young girl with sunken eyes, staring out at them from the window of one of the abandoned homes. Sightings multiplied after that. Some saying they saw her in the shadows, or approaching them in silence, or that they caught a glimpse of her rummaging through their garbage at night. <br/><br/>They told their parents, and a few weeks later the adults of the town organized a search party and swept the entirety of old town, but found no trace of her. That was when the kids decided she must be a ghost! The soul of a girl who died in the war, haunting her childhood home. The rumors did finally spook them enough that they stopped playing out there, which their parents appreciated, but that was the furthest anyone considered the issue.<br/><br/>Of course, Roman wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, so he was never part of the playgroups that headed out to the old town. He’d never seen the ghost girl himself, and had actually long ago dismissed her as a stupid urban legend. After all, who’d ever heard of a ghost who had to dig through garbage? Was she a cat ghost? A raccoon ghost? <br/><br/>Still, his dad’s words stuck with him, and the morning after his crash he found himself wandering. <br/><br/>“This is so stupid.” He muttered with a frown. Why did his dad suddenly believe in a playground rumor? Over the course of the next couple hours he searched each of the houses in turn, finding nothing except a few rats and more bugs than he honestly ever wanted to see in a lifetime.<br/><br/>When he was finished, he started to head back up the road that lead to the farmsteads. His old man had sent him on a wild goose chase, and Roman was in the process of deciding exactly how he wanted to mock him for it, when a hidden trail caught his eye.</p><p> </p><p>The grass behind the buildings was tall and ominous, as befits backyards that hadn’t seen any sort of maintenance since long before he was born. However, the gentle breeze caused the foliage to stir, revealing that in the center of the clearing the grass was bent and parted. A natural path formed by someone or something traveling through it repeatedly.<br/><br/><em>Probably a deer or something</em>. The thought felt rational, and honestly he was getting tired, but despite himself he approached the path, and began to push his way through the tall grass. Stalks of grass and crawling bugs poked at his body as he moved, making him instantly regret his decision, but he pressed on regardless. After a few minutes of sliding through the vegetation like some kind of jungle explorer, the grass began to shrink away, and he found himself stepping into a vast expanse of barren dirt. That was when he saw her.</p><p> </p><p>The ghost girl.</p><p> </p><p>She was laying on her stomach in the dirt, resting her cheek on the palm of her left hand and absently kicking her feet in the air behind her. She was so scrawny that Roman could see the contours of her skull through her pale skin, and the patchwork dress she wore hung on her gaunt frame as if she were a skeleton. Her brown hair was a shoulder-length mess of knots and dirt that was frayed and split at the ends. She looked younger than he was, but not by much, probably ten or eleven. <br/><br/>Roman’s footsteps alerted her as he approached, and she looked up in shock as he popped out of the grass. Her body tensed when she first realized he was a person, and a fearful expression started to form on her face, but when she realized it was another kid she relaxed a bit, her fear turning into confusion.<br/><br/>“Uh, hi!” Roman fidgeted a bit, raising a hand in greeting and offering a forced smile. He hadn’t actually expected to run into anyone, so he didn’t have a script prepared for this encounter. “You’re, uh, you’re not a ghost, are you?”<br/><br/>The question did nothing to erase the confusion plastered on the girl’s face, and she raised an eyebrow at him, slowly shaking her head. Inwardly, Roman winced at himself. Obviously she wasn’t a ghost! An orphan maybe? She wandered into town and started squatting in one of the abandoned houses here?<br/><br/>“Right, that was stupid, I’m sorry.” He forced a laugh, slowly walking toward her. When he finally closed the distance he could see that she had a magnifying glass in her right hand, and had been lying in front of an anthill-- presumably using the power of the life-giving sun to roast the little bastards. Roman wasn’t gonna judge. If you’re going to live by yourself in an abandoned house, you’re probably going to have to make your own fun.<br/><br/>He pointed to the ground beside her.<br/><br/></p><p>“You, uh, mind if I sit here?” Honestly, he felt bad enough approaching her without asking. She seemed skittish and uncomfortable around people, and he was technically invading her personal space. Still, she was a bit uncertain of him, but didn’t appear to be actively unhappy he was there. She wiggled her nose as she pondered his question for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders.<br/><br/>“Thanks...” He sat in the dirt a couple feet away from her and looked over at her awkwardly. She was certainly… taciturn. “Are you here alone? No mom or dad?”<br/><br/>Another head shake. Roman hesitated a moment. <br/><br/>“...Are they dead?”<br/><br/>The little girl’s brown eyes stared firmly out in the distance, a frown growing on her lips. She paused for a second before finally returning her gaze to Roman, and solemnly shaking her head.<br/><br/>“O-oh… that’s even worse.” Roman bowed his head apologetically, realizing he was probably being a bit too personal. In fairness, though, he’d never interviewed a mute ghost before. He looked her over again, shuddering at her emaciated state. If her parents were alive, and she hadn’t returned to them even after wasting away like this, then they must have been horrible.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>How much longer would she be able to survive if things stayed this way? Even if she didn’t starve to death, winter was right around the corner, and the climate here could be merciless. He had to help her somehow, bu-</p><p> </p><p>Wait…</p><p> </p><p>….Wait a minute…</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I don’t think you’d lie to me about something like that.”</em></p><p> </p><p>“<em>When you find out how she’s doing make sure she’s eating right. Don’t be afraid to take her home with you.”</em></p><p> </p><p>“<em>She has no friends, and unlike you, she doesn’t even have the worlds best dad and a perfectly adequate mom.”</em></p><p> </p><p>Ugh, now he understood. His dad knew from the start that the ‘ghost girl’ was probably an orphan. He figured that she was hiding from adults on purpose, and the other kids were too scared to approach her. So he told Roman about her condition, figuring that once he realized she was a scared, lonely girl, he’d feel bad and come looking for her. <br/><br/>...which wasn’t what happened, of course. Roman was here to satisfy idle curiosity and nothing more. His heart, you must understand, was not remotely soft.<br/><br/>“That crafty old bastard...” Roman muttered under his breath. Seeing that he’d said it loudly enough to earn a curious head-turn from the girl, he cleared his throat and continued with, “Oh, uh, I was just thinking. You’ve probably had a hard time with adults, huh?”<br/><br/>She looked away again, and another, deeper frown crossing her lips, but she finally gave a hesitant nod.<br/><br/>“I’m sorry. Adults suck.” Roman said softly, reaching out to pat her back without thinking. He could feel the outline of each individual bone of her rib cage. “Kids suck, too. You can rest easy, though. You aren’t dealing with adults <em>or</em> kids anymore. You got me.”<br/><br/>Her frown vanished, but she cocked her head at him, raising a brow. Roman knew her question even without a voice.<br/><br/>“Oh, there ain’t no one in the world like me. I stand alone.” He declared proudly, brushing his bangs from his eyes and looking away dramatically in a manner that didn’t quite look as cool as he believed it did. He reached into his jacket and pulled something out. “My name is Roman, and I’m destined for greatness. Nice to meetcha.”<br/><br/>He extended the item he’d procured from his coat. When he realized she might be hungry, he decided to bring some sandwiches along. That, too, was a gesture of his idle curiosity, not his concern. He wanted to see if ghosts could eat, was all.</p><p> </p><p>The girl pursed her lips as her eyes fell on the wrapped food, leaning her head out and sniffing it like a dog until, realizing that he was handing her something edible, she gasped in excitement. She dropped the magnifying glass she was holding and her hand darted out, snatching the package from Roman and tearing the cloth wrapping apart as deftly as her thin, bony fingers could manage. She began to rip the sandwiches to pieces, one after another, and cram the fragments into her mouth.</p><p> </p><p>He watched her with a nervous smile. It was the most feral thing he’d ever seen, but it was cute in its own way. <br/><br/>“I made ‘em, so I can’t say as to whether they’re any good.” He admitted sheepishly. “But, I mean, you’ve been eating garbage up to now, right? Compared to that, these should be… about the same as what you’re used to.”<br/><br/>She continued to dig into the food until it had all disappeared, resorting to licking the cloth he’d wrapped it in once she’d finished. When she was done she looked up at him and gave him a grateful nod, her face showing no expression, but her eyes now regarding him quite a bit more warmly. Her body language had more energy behind it now, too, which he figured was a good sign. <br/><br/>“Well, hey, I’ll take the praise! Guess I can add this to the ever-growing list of things I’m incredible at.” He said with a laugh, he looked down at the magnifying glass she’d been holding. “Is that what you do all day? Just… cook bugs? Where’d you get that thing, anyway?”</p><p> </p><p>The girl hoisted herself up into a sitting position while he spoke, her eyes falling on the tool as he questioned her. When he finished, she didn’t do anything to signify an answer, instead picking up the magnifying glass and holding it out to him, her mouth stretching into a toothy, sadistic grin. <br/><br/>His bright green eyes flashed as he returned her smile, accepting her offer with a playful laugh.<br/><br/>“Hell yeah! Let’s burn some ants!”</p><p> </p><p>They talked for a long time after that. Well, <em>he</em> talked, but it felt like a full conversation, all the same. The girl grew more comfortable with him quickly, and seemed to enjoy his melodramatic confidence. Before he realized it, the morning had gone, and taken the afternoon with it.<br/><br/>“… So I wanted to fly off. Somewhere far away.” The two of them had pressed down the grass nearby, and were laying down on it like a mattress, staring up at the sky as the sun began to set. “It doesn’t really matter what I do when I get there. Maybe I’ll be a huntsman, or a soldier like my mom. All’s I care about is that I’ll be free.”<br/><br/>The little girl’s smile wavered at his mention of flying away, and she leaned over to give him a questioning look. Her reaction brought a light blush to his cheeks as he looked away. It felt weird to think someone would miss him if he left.<br/><br/>“O-oh, don’t worry, the plan’s changed for now. I think I’ll be stickin’ around here for a little. A year or two, maybe. Got the rest of my life to have adventures.” The girl exhaled, clearly relieved by his answer. Honestly, he wanted to head out right away, and just invite her to come with him… but she was in no condition to play runaway with him, and he couldn’t bring himself to abandon her if she was going to be that sad about it. He’d just have to-</p><p> </p><p>Oh gods damn it…</p><p> </p><p>“<em>why are you off having aerial adventures by yourself on such a beautiful day? Call me old fashioned, but I remember a time when kids played outside together.”</em></p><p> </p><p>Roman had thought it was weird that his dad hadn’t pressed him to answer why he was flying. The old man already knew he was thinking about running away, figured it was boredom born of loneliness, and nudged him to do this so he’d make a friend.</p><p> </p><p>It was a win-win for his dad. He manages to save an orphan from starving or freezing to death, and helps his son be less grumpy.<br/><br/>“Ugh! That crafty old double-bastard!” He groaned as he finally forced himself up to his feet. His new friend eyed him curiously, so he shook his head. <br/><br/>“Just thinking out loud. It’s going to be dark soon, and it’s cold out here. What say you crash at my house? It’s a lot warmer than where you’ve been sleeping, and my mom’s much better at the whole food thing than I am.”<br/><br/>She listened intently, but cringed a bit at the mention of his mom. Ah, right, her trauma with adults must have been stronger than he realized. Of course it was! She was willing to starve to death rather than let the town’s grown-ups find her.<br/><br/>He extended a hand toward her, and smiled warmly. This expression was much more genuine than the smile he’d given her when they first met, and her eyes grew wide as she looked up at him. He hated letting his dad be right about something, but this was bigger than teenage rebellion. Roman had the power to help her, so he was going to help her.<br/><br/>“You don’t have to be scared anymore. You got Roman with you now! No matter what happens or where we end up, I’ll protect you. I promise.”<br/><br/>The girl’s eyes grew thoughtful, tears welling for a moment before she gave him a resolute nod and hesitantly extended her arm, pressing her hand into his. He gripped it and pulled her up onto her feet gently.<br/><br/>“Y’know, I just realized, I never asked for your name...”</p><p><br/><br/>Pain burst in Weiss’ head like a thunderclap, dismissing the memories she was experiencing. Everything was wrong! The memories were similar, but so different, and she could feel her mind tearing as she tried to remember who she was. Memories ceased to play out in a linear fashion, instead bombarding her simultaneously like a crushing ocean of thoughts and feelings. She began to panic, but calmed herself as a sudden realization hit her.<br/><br/><em>That’s right… I’m Weiss…<br/><br/></em>She began to laugh as warm relief pushed away the fear and pain she’d been experiencing, and the memories began to cease their assault. How could she have forgotten? The flight from home. The talking Grimm. Her partnership with an enemy she thought she’d hated. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the images around her vanish into blackness, which in turn transformed into a radiant light.</p><p> </p><p>She was observing the memories of two people! Now that she realized that, she felt a strange happiness when she thought about what she’d witnessed. Torchwick would be mortified to know what she’d seen, but she felt like she understood him so much better now.</p><p> </p><p>Standing in this bright light, she observed two final memories, one belonging to Weiss Schnee, and the other to Roman Torchwick.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em>I’m so glad I met all of you...’</em></p><p> </p><p>Her final glimpse of her own past came in the form of her old team- Ruby, Blake, and Yang. The four of them were seated around a table together, talking about nothing. Ruby said something careless, for which Weiss scolded her, but in the end everyone laughed. A scene that was a microcosm of the happiest days of her life.</p><p> </p><p>Weiss Schnee was once a child who was terrified to think she would grow up to become a monster, like her father. Then she experienced the warmth of the world firsthand, and became a hero, instead. <br/><br/>Now, for the first time in half a lifetime, she wasn’t alone-- and the thought thrilled her.</p><p> </p><p>On the other hand...</p><p> </p><p>‘<em>How am I supposed to endure living in this rotten world without you!?’</em></p><p> </p><p>Her final glimpse of Roman Torchwick took her to the exterior of an airship at night. She saw Ruby leap up suddenly, and saw Neo’s parasol catch the turbulent wind, pulling her into the vortex around them. Through Torchwick’s helpless eyes she watched, feeling the despair that gripped him as he realized what he’d done. He’d broken his promise, and now he was alone.<br/><br/>Roman Torchwick was once a child who was thrilled to think he would grow up to become a hero, like his mother. Then he experienced the cruelty of the world firsthand, and became a monster, instead.</p><p> </p><p>Now, for the first time in half a lifetime, he was alone-- and the thought terrified him.<br/><br/>Weiss tried to parse her feelings about these contradictory images, but there was no time. By the time she finally realized she was ‘Weiss’, she was already starting to wake up.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A World of Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Roman and Weiss have their second slumber party.  The circumstances are... less than traditional, but the energy is the same.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AUTHOR’S NOTE: So, in my original outline of the story, the events of this week’s chapter and last week’s chapter were all just one chapter.  As I wrote it out… I realized there was no way in hell that would work, and divided it into two.</p>
<p>Problem is, I alternate perspectives each chapter, and letting the reader gain access to Torchwick’s head during the events of such an intimate chapter would produce minor spoilers for some stuff to come.  Long story short, I had to write two consecutive chapters from the same perspective.  Just wanted to establish why I broke the pattern.</p>
<p>Thanks as always for your continued support!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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<p>Weiss’ eyes fluttered open slowly, but what waited on the other side of her eyelids was even more intense darkness. For a moment her breath caught itself in her throat, and she feared that she wasn’t as awake as she’d believed, but she calmed somewhat when she realized that her other senses were working normally. She could hear the sound of liquid dripping from the ceiling, and taste the cool air her body steadily drew in. <br/><br/>More than anything, she could feel the tremendous warmth pressed firmly against the front of her body, and smell a sweet aroma that surrounded her on all sides. It was like she was embraced by an aura of spiced vanilla and pipe tobacco... heavy, though not overpowering, comfortable, and familiar. Indeed, though Weiss was certain she’d never encountered it before, the scent brought about a wistful feeling of nostalgia for her.</p>
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<p>Ah, yes. She’d fallen down a hole. Refocusing on her senses helped her brain to finally process everything that had happened before she lost consciousness. Collapsing the tunnel probably broke the mirrors that had been lighting up the deeper recesses of the cave, too. No wonder it was so dark.</p>
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<p>She expected to feel pain, but instead her body only tingled. Her thoughts were lucid enough that she felt like herself, but they were a little foggy and forced, as well. It was a state of mind that reminded her of when the dentist put her under nitrous oxide as a child- she just vaguely felt pleasant and unfiltered.</p>
<p>“That’s right. I’m ‘Weiss’.” She repeated the realization she’d had in her dream and smiled softly. Were she thinking clearly it might have upset her a little to think about why that was a revelation, but in her altered state it just made her happy to remember. She felt like she was floating in the air, attached to something warm and fragrant that was gradually lifting her upward.</p>
<p><br/>“Oh? You finally awake, Ice Queen?” Torchwick’s voice, but she didn’t just hear it, she felt it. As he spoke, his words seemed to vibrate against her cheek. It was this sensation that helped her finally realize where she was: she was pressed against his back!<br/><br/>Tied to it, more precisely. She could tell by the feeling of momentum that they were slowly traveling upward. In the darkness, it was impossible to tell exactly how, but she was was wrapped in some sort of soft fabric. Multiple strips of cloth were tied around her waist, her shoulders, and both her legs, securing her to Torchwick’s form in such a way that he could commit all his limbs to climbing without fear of her falling. <br/><br/>“Mhm...” She murmured in a sleepy, happy tone. “I apologize for worrying you. Are you well?” <br/><br/>Her eyes were mostly useless in this intense darkness, so she allowed them to close, focusing on the sound of Torchwick’s boots sliding against the stony wall as he groped in the darkness for hand and footholds, and slowly pulled them upward.<br/><br/>Despite the darkness, the danger, and the head trauma-- or perhaps because of the latter-- she just couldn’t escape the giddy joy that warmed her stomach. Being alive felt so good, tonight!<br/><br/><br/></p>
<p>“Oh, I’m just <em>peachy.</em>” Torchwick sighed, clearly perplexed by her good cheer. “You should really consider my feelings before you go bungee jumping. I’d be moderately inconvenienced if you kicked the bucket, you know.”<br/><br/>The bitter sarcasm of his words did little to mask his clear relief that she’d regained consciousness, though. Weiss’ thoughts fell back to the little girl he’d befriended as a child. Her own relationship with Torchwick was one born entirely out of mutual necessity, and until recently she’d that that was the only kind of bond he was capable of forming. She still wasn’t sure what she thought of him, having seen his past.<br/><br/>“If it bothers you so much, try to catch me next time.” She replied, reflecting the same concerned sarcasm back at him. “...but you’ve been trying to save me ever since I passed out, right? I really am grateful for that.”<br/><br/>“Heh, you really are an ice queen, aren’t you?” He sighed and clicked his tongue. “Seriously, though, we should be a bit more worried about you than me. How are you holding up? Are you warm enough? I wasn’t sure if my coat would work or not, but I had to cut yours up. Oh, uh, mental note for next time: we really need to remember to pack rope when we go mountain climbing.”</p>
<p>His coat? <br/><br/>His comment helped Weiss understand where she was a little better. With her own coat destroyed, he must have used his own to cover her up. That would explain the fabric she was draped in, and made his uncertainty more clear. After all, <em>does</em> a ghostly coat work at trapping body heat?</p>
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<p>Well, it turns out the answer there was a pretty firm ‘yes’. Whatever other complaints Weiss may have about her current situation, she was feeling very warm. Perhaps it was her addled mental state shielding her from how cold she was, in the same way it shielded her from her pain, but between the warmth of his ‘body’ before her and his coat behind her, she felt like she was resting on a personal cloud of heat as it gently floated upward. <br/><br/><br/>“You smell wonderful.” She said dreamily, her mental filter a bit compromised. She was literally surrounded by him in the moment, and that would have left her feeling strange even if she’d been in her right mind. “Like vanilla.”</p>
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<p>Even Torchwick seemed taken aback by the non-sequitur, a concerned hum escaping his throat as he tried to cast an eye back to check on her.<br/><br/>“That, uh, didn’t answer my question, but thanks? Attention to little details is the secret to success in villainy.” He looked forward again, trying as best he could to study the wall before him for crevices he could put their weight onto, but groaned as a realization hit him. “Wait, ‘vanilla’, you said? So, as a ghost, I’m not allowed to have my hat, but I’m allowed to keep my aftershave? That is… that is mildly infuriating.”<br/><br/><br/></p>
<p>“You were truly fond of that hat, huh?” Weiss tittered a bit, pressing her cheek against his back as she shifted to get comfortable. Shielded as she was from the gravity of their current situation, she was almost having fun. The two of them alone in the darkness like this reminded her of the ‘slumber party’ they’d had back when he was still a new factor in her life.</p>
<p><br/>“FOND!?” Torchwick was indignant. “Ice Queen, you don’t get it. If I hadn’t gotten the use of my hands back today, we probably would have been dragon chow. Even then, if I’d been given the choice between my hands or my hat, I’d have taken the hat. A man is only as good as his brand, and that hat was my brand. I cared about that thing more than life itself.”<br/><br/>“...but not more than your cat.” Weiss had meant to frame it as a question, but it’d come out blunt and confident- a contradiction of his claim. She could feel his breath hitch in his chest, but he only paused for a moment before shaking his head.<br/><br/>“...but not more than my cat.” He repeated thoughtfully. A heavy silence fell over them, but in her pleasant haze, Weiss only barely felt it.<br/><br/>“I saw her, while I was asleep.” Weiss confessed, “I think I see your memories in my dreams, sometimes.” Torchwick continued to steadily pull the two of them up the wall as she spoke, though she thought she could feel him grow warmer beneath her as she spoke.<br/><br/>“I had a suspicion something like that may be going on.” He finally said, his tone betraying a bit of annoyance, but no real anger. “I’m not thrilled to imagine one of Little Red’s friends rummaging about my inner-most thoughts, but it’s not like I was keeping Neo a secret, or anything.”<br/><br/>“Well, it’s not as though I was doing it on purpose! I have enough traumatic memories of my own without borrowing yours.” Weiss replied, much more playfully than she’d intended. In her current head-space it took a lot of effort for her to experience a negative emotion. “Though, now that I think about it, what I saw was more ‘sweet’ than ‘traumatic’.”</p>
<p><br/>“No surprise there, I guess, if you saw Neo.” Torchwick shrugged, pretending to gracefully accept the news that his most private memories had been spied on. Weiss was pressed so close against him that she could feel him start to tremble at the thought of it, though. “I’m not fond of people, even on the best of days, but she was the exception that proved the rule. In my defense, calling her a cat was only a half-lie, at worst. She was only ever affectionate on her own terms, liked to play with her food before she ate it, and preferred to fall asleep curled up on my chest.”</p>
<p>That mental image brought a light blush to Weiss’ cheeks, though she had to admit she understood the appeal. He may be a criminal, but Torchwick had a <em>very</em> comforting scent to him.</p>
<p>...That felt like yet another thought that would have been alarming to her if she were in her right mind. As she was now, though, it just felt like a neutral statement of fact.</p>
<p>“It was a side of you I hadn’t known existed, I admit. You think about her a lot, don’t you?” She blinked her eyes, the memories she’d seen playing out as vividly as if she’d lived them herself. “All your talk about how I’m better off alone, when it turns out you were never alone from the start. Pretending to understand the world when you don’t even understand yourself. You’re such a dolt.”</p>
<p>“Don’t go picking fights when you’re half dead, Snowflake. I’d feel bad smacking you down in a war of wit when you’re… whatever the hell is going on with you right now.”<br/><br/>“I apologize.” She giggled like a schoolgirl, endorphins dancing about in her brain. Why <em>had</em> the fall had this effect on her? Part of her felt like she was still dreaming, and it imparted a sort of fearlessness to her thoughts and words that she was normally too reserved to feel. “So, then, we’ve been partners for a while now. Yet every time we speak on any sort of personal level, you always goad me into venting my feelings while offering none of your own in return. I say it’s payback time! Tell me about Neo.”<br/><br/>“‘Partners’?” Torchwick mused, not seeming especially bothered by the notion. “You sure are making a lot of demands of the guy who’s breaking his back trying to prevent you from dying in a hole! What do you even wanna know about her?”</p>
<p><br/>“Did you love her?”</p>
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<p>“I wonder...” He grew warmer beneath her again as he spoke. Perhaps as a ghost his ‘body’ heat was tied to his emotional state? Or it correlated to how connected the two of them were? Come to think of it, it was strange that he had a heartbeat, too. Even when she was testing the limits of what he could do as a ghost, it never occurred to her to think much about how his body worked.</p>
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<p>Either way, he fell silent for a while after saying that. For so long, in fact, that Weiss began to worry she’d been a little too direct, and caused him to withdraw inside his ego, as he often did when she cornered him. To her surprise, though, just as she was about to apologize and change the subject, he continued. <br/><br/>“Neo was a lot like me. From the moment we met, I could see that she had the same kind of darkness inside her. People like us aren’t properly fit to be plugged into the social machine… bad things happen when we try. So, when the two of us found each other, we made a promise. ‘Even if everyone else rejects you, I’ll be the one thing in this world that’s always on your side.’ An oath of protection, as it were—though, admittedly, over they years she protected me a bit more frequently than I could return the favor. I think she appreciated the sentiment, at least.”</p>
<p>Weiss listened to him in half-lidded silence. She hadn’t actually expected him to open up at all. It seemed she wasn’t the only one in a strange mood!</p>
<p>“That sounds like love, to me.” She eventually offered. It was true she was far from an expert on the subject, though. Had she ever been in love before? She wasn’t confident she could even name more than a handful of crushes she’d had, across her life. Ugh, like Neptune! Trying to associate that whole mess with the idea of ‘love’ made her a little nauseous, even in her current euphoric haze.</p>
<p>“Could be. Does that really change anything between you and I, though?” Weiss’ observation had elicited a casual shrug from Torchwick, who spoke dismissively. “Whether I loved Neo or not, I still helped the Witch destroy Beacon.”<br/><br/>She opened her eyes and her smile wavered a bit. She wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about him, anymore. Before they came together, she’d never really thought about him at all, to be honest. Roman Torchwick was just a sociopath, utterly incapable of feeling the slightest stirring of compassion or regret for the lives he destroyed just to make money. <br/><br/>In a way, seeing his bond with Neo firsthand did worsen Weiss’ impression of him. It showed he had the common empathy needed to form a bond with another person, yet behaved monstrously in spite of it. An incomprehensible beast committing acts of evil was easier to accept than a normal person doing the same.</p>
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<p>“I realized we were alike, is all.” She finally admitted, instinctively drawing closer to the heat he radiated as she closed her eyes and thought back to the day he’d met Neo. She actually felt a closer kinship to Neo than she had to him, in those memories, but she refrained from admitting it, as some part of her perceived that as entirely too intimate a confession to make. <br/><br/>“When I was little, I was alone, too. Other people, my family, the world… they all felt so random and cruel, to me. It scared me, but it made me angry too. I came so close to hating all of it... If things in my life had played out just a little differently, I could have ended up thinking a lot like you. So, that’s why I want to believe in you, Roman. I want to believe you can atone for what you’ve done, because I want to believe the person I might have wound up becoming was someone who could be saved.”</p>
<p>“‘Atone’, huh?” After a moment of silence, Roman finally spoke, repeating her word somberly. There was no hostility in his voice, just a cool resignation. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I think the only reason you can say something like that with a straight face is because you’re not really considering the nasty crap I’ve done. There’s a line in the sand where you can’t fix things with an ‘I’m sorry’, anymore-- regardless how sincere-- and I crossed it a long time ago. I’ve been a liar, a cheat, and a killer for way too long to dream I could ever be anything else.”<br/><br/>“Maybe,” Weiss conceded, taking in a deep, tired breath. Her sheltered upbringing had left her very naive, even by the generous curve one might grade someone her age. Even still, she couldn’t help but hope for him. After all, unlike him, she didn’t believe the world was cold.</p>
<p>“You like to give up really fast though, Roman. Way too fast, most of the time! It’s true that ‘I’m sorry’ can’t fix what you’ve done, but so what? Work for your forgiveness. Pay what you owe, for once, you thug! It’s okay if it hurts, or if it takes a long time. I’ll be there for you when you’re finished.”<br/><br/>Torchwick continued to climb as she spoke, but he paused at this, casting a glance over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Why, Ice Queen. I dare say it sounds like you’re falling for me.”</p>
<p>“Oh please!” She said with a dismissive grunt, her addled brain protecting her from the realization that that really was a reasonable way of interpreting what she’d just said. “You’re not my type. At all.”</p>
<p>“Mm-hmm, whatever you say.” He was wearing such a wide, cocky grin that Weiss could feel herself blushing even more fiercely. “If I’m not your type, then you have catastrophically bad taste in men, and I question your judgment. You <em>are </em>injured, though, so I’ll cut you some slack.”</p>
<p>“Y-you’re not half as great as you think you are. You realize that, right?” Weiss retorted, turning away from his gaze. Torchwick pretended to reel, as if overcome by her harsh words.</p>
<p>“Such a cruel thing to say, Snowflake.” He said with a chuckle. “Implying that I’m merely <em>five</em> times greater than everyone else.”<br/><br/>“Oh my god...” Weiss muttered, pressing her face against his back, since their position made it impossible to facepalm. He took a lot more after his dad than he seemed to realize, though she thought better of pointing it out to him right now. The thought reminded her of the person Roman had been as a child, and returned that memory of the day he’d met Neo to the fore of her mind.<br/><br/>“Hey, Roman? Can I ask you a question?”<br/><br/>Torchwick arched his brow, surprised by her sudden reticence. <br/><br/>“Uh, Ice Queen, you just did.” He replied. She playfully smacked the back of his shoulder.<br/><br/>“Smartass...” She muttered. <br/><br/>“Well, time is the one thing we’ve got at the moment. What’s on your mind?” He finally replied, his tone softer and more apologetic. Weiss took a deep breath.</p>
<p>“If we’d met each other-- back when we were young, I mean-- do you think we would have been friends?”</p>
<p>Torchwick halted their climb again, pressing his forehead against the stone wall before him and closing his eyes, as if debating how much he wanted to say about something. After a long second he sighed, shrugged, and began to climb once again. <br/><br/>“You seem like you were pretty miserable kid, for sure.” He finally said. “I was a pretty stupid brat myself, back then, so I’m not sure I could have ignored that. I’d probably have taken you home with me. I mean, I did already adopt Neo, after all. What’s one more stray cat?”</p>
<p>“I think we would have had a lot of fun...” Weiss smile returned at the mental image this cast, while Torchwick snickered in reply.<br/><br/>“It would have been fun recruiting you into our gang, at least! You could finally fulfill your destiny of becoming a dust smuggler.”</p>
<p>“Hmph! Don’t be so arrogant as to assume you’ll have a monopoly on peer influence! You wouldn’t have had anything to atone for if I’d been around. I would have dragged the two of you into the light even if you kicked and screamed the whole time.”<br/><br/>“Oh? Would have been interesting to see you try.” Replied Torchwick, winking over his shoulder.<br/><br/>“I recall that you were considering becoming a huntsman, when you were young! We could have all joined the academy together.”<br/><br/>“For, like, fifteen minutes when I was 12!” He protested, but something about her suggestion clearly appealed to him, as even in the darkness she could see his smile. “The mental image of you and Neo on the same hunting team is amusing, though.”<br/><br/>“Indeed! She seemed like an… intense… sort, but I’d like to think I could have been friends with her, too.”<br/><br/>“Wait, wait, hear me out, Ice Queen!” Torchwick’s voice became childish and excited, suddenly, as if he’d just thought of something terribly clever. “So, you, me, and Neo join a hunting team, right? Since it’s a pipe dream anyway, why not say we also came to the village here and recruited that little pickpocket, Erica? Think about it: We could be team ‘WENR’!”</p>
<p>Silence fell over them.</p>
<p>Weiss blinked. She blinked again, and then still a third time. All the while the silence between them grew more and more intense.</p>
<p>...then she snorted, which lead into a deep, unrestrained laugh.</p>
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<p>***</p>
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<p>Weiss wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Torchwick eventually brought them to the mouth of the hole that had swallowed them. He hooked his arm up and over the edge, pulling them back up to the cavern’s entrance with an exhausted sigh. Now that they were free of the constant fear of losing his grip and causing them to plunge back into the abyss, a visible weight seemed to be pulled off of him as he fell onto his hands and knees and worked to steady his breathing.</p>
<p>“Why does this body of mine only ever pretend to be real when it’s inconvenient!?” He protested weakly, before turning his head and casting his gaze back at Weiss. “You still holding up okay?”<br/><br/>In the time between their defeat of Aibell and their escape from the hole, night had fallen. That said, it was a full moon tonight, and this-- coupled with the blanket of unbroken snow outside-- caused the entire cavern around them to be bathed in pale light. <br/><br/>Weiss looked up at Torchwick as he looked back at her. The silvery aura of the snowy moonlight surrounding his pale form like a halo and causing his emerald eyes to glow. Weiss felt her heart start to race as her gaze met his, and she wasn’t sure why.<br/><br/>“I’m… fine.” Weiss did her best to sound reassuring, though her tone was still a little distant, and another blush had began to color her cheeks. The ethereal light made her feel all the more like she was experiencing a waking dream. <br/><br/>“You don’t look fine. At all. We need to get you some help.” Torchwick frowned and shook his head. “I’m normally not one to assume the best of strangers who try to murder me, but given the circumstances, we’ll just have to hope the villagers aren’t so petty they’ll still want to kill you after the Grimm are gone.”<br/><br/>He took another deep breath, held it, and pushed himself up onto his feet. It wasn’t as obvious to Weiss when he was scaling a wall, but Torchwick was really tall, wasn’t he? Suspended as she was against his back, she could peer out so much further than she could when she was walking. Was she really that tiny?<br/><br/>Weiss began to snicker, a sound which quickly transformed into a full-on giggle as the pair of them began to head to the cavern’s exit. <br/><br/>“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Torchwick asked. Weiss’ laughter only grew more intense at the question, and she tightened the grip of her slender arms around his chest.<br/><br/>“I wa-I was just thinking...” She began to explain in between fits of giggles. “Now I know… Now I know how a backpack feels!” <br/><br/>Weiss’ laughter echoed through the cave as her own punchline destroyed her, possessing her so violently that she began to tremble against his back as they moved. Torchwick sighed in resignation.<br/><br/>“You hit your head, and somehow it only makes your sense of humor slightly more incomprehensible than it was before.” He said with a shrug. “I’m not sure what that says about you, Snowflake.”<br/><br/>“Complain as you please, but it made you smile.” She said with pride. Indeed, dim though the light may have been, she could see his lips had been pulled wide. An expression of happiness that belied his grumpy words. Torchwick didn’t even deny it, instead shrugging again with a soft chuckle.<br/><br/>“It’s part of your appeal, I guess.”<br/><br/>Weiss smiled as well, her cheek pressing firmly to his back as she relaxed against him. She felt warm, safe, and happy.</p>
<p>It was strange: her desire to reunite with her friends, to reclaim the Schnee name in her own way, and to walk her own path regardless of where it led… none of those feelings had diminished in the slightest. In fact, at this point in her life, she was more confident in her ability to succeed than she had ever been before.<br/><br/>All the same, if a genie were to appear before her right this instant, and offer to let her remain in this moment for the rest of eternity, she wasn’t confident she could resist accepting.</p>
<p><br/>As she rested against Torchwick, she absently watched the cavern walls grow brighter as they neared the exit, feeling equal parts relief for their safety and melancholy that this feeling within her would eventually have to end. <br/><br/>When they finally reached the exit, and stepped into the open air, a sigh of chilly mountain air swept over them, and she instinctively recoiled, ducking her head down inside Torchwick’s coat like a turtle receding into her shell. Torchwick continued to march forward resolutely for a few more paces, but came to a sudden halt that jerked Weiss from her thoughts.</p>
<p>“No...” Exasperation and horror dripped from Torchwick’s voice as he stopped walking, motionless save for the tremble that shook him. “The birds! I forgot about the damned birds!”<br/><br/>Weiss was confused, but as she hesitantly poked her head out from under the confines of Torchwick’s coat, she quickly realized what he meant. Several black blurs dotted the skies above them, flying through the air in irrational patterns. As her eyes focused, she recognized them… Griffons.</p>
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<p>That’s right! How could she have forgotten? The only Grimm they encountered within the cavern had been the scorpion-like Death Stalkers and Aibell herself, but those weren’t the only species she controlled, were they? Aibell had used Griffons to force their airship to the ground! A few of them had died taking out the engines, but most had simply vanished after the attack.<br/><br/>Aibell must have decided the flying Grimm would be worthless within the confines of the mine, and thus gathered them around the entrance to intercept Weiss if she had attempted to flee the battle inside. Now that the Fable was dead, the Griffons were freed of her control, and now flew aimlessly. This wasn’t a region of the world that they naturally congregated, and their reaction to the unfamiliar scenery and inhospitable climate was anger and primal confusion. <br/><br/>“Don’t suppose you have any fight left in ya, Ice Queen?” Torchwick’s voice was as firm and confident as ever, though there was an undeniable hint of worry to his words.</p>
<p>The question gave Weiss pause. She could move her arms and legs well enough, but when she pressed her foot against the side of Torchwick’s knee and attempted to put weight on her leg, the limb felt tingly and numb. She doubted she was capable of standing under her own power right now, much less fighting.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so...” She muttered, shaking her head. Her dreamy haze sheltered her from feeling fear or stress, but she had an intellectual concept of how much trouble they were in. If Torchwick was any more susceptible to fear than she was, he showed no obvious signs of it as she spoke. A wry smile crossed his lips as he closed his eyes.<br/><br/>“I had a feeling you’d say that. Plan ‘b’, then. Make sure you hold on tight.” He grabbed the ends of the coat that was draped about them and pulled it more securely about his shoulders, tying the empty sleeves in front of him like a belt. As he did so, Weiss obliged his request. Her arms coiled about his torso and she pulled her chest firmly against his back.<br/><br/>Torchwick spent one last second bracing himself, then took off at a sprint down the mountain path. Weiss scoured her memory, but she couldn’t recall anything along the trail that they could use for cover. No trees, no rocks, just an endless, open expanse of snow between two sheer cliff walls. <br/><br/>She knew he would never admit it, but they were in a lot of trouble. With her injured as she was, Torchwick didn’t even consider waiting around inside the cave for the Grimm to disperse, knowing that it could take hours, if not days, for them to finally leave, and that she was in desperate need of medical attention. They seemed to be stuck with the choice between staying in the cave and dying, or running for the village and dying…</p>
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<p>Despite that, he still made an attempt to save her. Torchwick moved with surprising agility, given he was carrying an entire person behind him. He darted down the path, carefully hopping from foot to foot as he tried to maximize his pace despite the accumulated snow beneath attempting to trip him up.<br/><br/>In the bright moonlight, the two of them were obvious targets, though, and the nearest Grimm set down upon them within seconds of their dash. The creature dove down in an effort to pounce upon them, but Torchwick managed to jump away at the last second. Unfortunately, the difference in speed between the agile, flying Griffon and an encumbered human was already apparent. Each time it rebounded and attacked again, it came closer to striking true. <br/><br/>Eventually, the creature angled its wings, diving for the ground in front of Torchwick as it turned and raised one of its foreclaws, slashing toward him violently. Torchwick must have decided that dodging wouldn’t work, because he didn’t even try. Instead, he turned so that his body was positioned between the Grimm’s claws and Weiss, and braced himself for impact. <br/><br/>There was a sickening cracking sound as the sharp talons slammed against Torchwick’s aura. The barrier resisted the attack, but the force still sent the human flying backward, who landed on his side with an agitated grunt.<br/><br/>“Well, my aura still works!” He shouted. “Good to know. I wasn’t excited to see what my ghostly guts looked like.”</p>
<p>The sound of the battle had attracted the attention of two more Griffons, though, who began to circle about them in search of their own opportunity to dive into the fray. Torchwick saw them circling above, saw his attacker draw closer, and let out a low, resigned laugh.<br/><br/>“I’ll be real with you, though. This may be as far as we go.” He whispered in a somber tone. “I’m sorry, Weiss.”<br/><br/>Weiss struggled to work the gravity of their situation into her mind. She absently watched as Torchwick inched his way toward the cliff wall behind them, turning his back toward it in a last, futile effort to protect her from the Grimm. Even now, though, the comfortable haze that shielded her from the pain in her head made all the danger feel far away and unreal.<br/><br/>Dying scared her, of course, but it was never what she’d been most afraid of. Loneliness was. The cage of isolation that had been her prison for so much of her life, and whose shadow eternally gnawed at the back of her mind, reminding her that it could return to claim her at any time, and she could never escape.<br/><br/>That specter hadn’t haunted her in a long time, though. Now, she was never alone. <br/><br/>Ruby, Blake, Yang, Winter…<br/><br/>A twinge of sadness finally succeeded in penetrating the fog within her brain as she realized she was never going to see them again.</p>
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<p>“I’m sorry, too, Roman.” She whispered as she closed her eyes and embraced him tightly, the apology wasn’t just for him, but for everyone who cared about her. She’d been careless.</p>
<p>...but at least she wasn’t alone.<br/><br/><em>BOOM!</em></p>
<p>A thunderous clap echoed through the mountain, followed by a flash of blinding light that burst across the horizon, striking one of the circling Grimm above and causing it to explode into black flames. The Grimm on the ground made a confused cry, its bird-like head darting in a quick circle as it tried to determine what had happened.<br/><br/><em>BOOM! BOOM!<br/><br/></em>Two more peals of thunder. Two more flashes of light. Two more airborne Grimm erupting into flames. The Griffon on the ground was furious know, beating its wings in a torrent as it dashed into the sky to aid its flock, only to vanish in still another explosion of light. <br/><br/>Weiss’ eyes traced the beam of light back to its source, finding that the silhouette of a large, dark machine was illuminated by the full moon. An aircraft with long, flipper-like wings extended behind it.<br/><br/>“The Atlesian military!?” Torchwick’s cool was gone as he openly expressed his shock, watching alongside Weiss as the airship swiftly annihilated all the remaining Griffons. <br/><br/>“The village must have called them again after we left.” Weiss said thoughtfully, wearing a vacant smile. Her thoughts once again fell on Erica, and on the face the little girl had made as they parted ways. She just couldn’t believe someone who could make a face like that was evil.<br/><br/>“Even if they did, that doesn’t explain why the military <em>actually</em> came!” Torchwick scratched the back of his head. In spite of his complaints, his body language was excited. Even a cynic like him had to be relieved to have been saved from certain death. “No way in hell an Atlas airship would waste time and resources rescuing a group of hillbilly faunus after ignoring them for months.”<br/><br/>“Yet here they are… are you ready, Roman?”</p>
<p>“Ready for what?”</p>
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<p>Weiss’ smile grew broader, and an affectionate warmth filled her as she looked into his eyes.<br/><br/>“I plan to spend the next few days being <em>insufferably</em> smug about how right I was about everything.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Farmer and the Viper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Their savior is revealed, sisters have a heart-to-heart, and the curtain closes on the story of the indolent fable.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <strong>Roman Torchwick</strong>
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</p><p>Torchwick frowned, rubbed his eyes, and returned the book he’d been reading to its shelf.  The village foreman, Edward, had mentioned something about Weiss having two souls, on the day they’d left to hunt Aibell, so Torchwick dared to hope that maybe the old faunus had some information about his condition.  Alas, by now he had thumbed through every single book on the old oaken shelf, and it turned out his hope was misplaced.  Ledgers, census reports, hunting guides, and dime novels, the foreman’s collection of books was as robust as it was useless.</p><p>…and all of it was about as entertaining as watching paint dry.  <br/><br/>“Well, thanks for killing twenty minutes for me, anyway.”  Torchwick said to no one.  He trailed his fingertips across the spines of the musty old books one last time, before he lost interest in the bookshelf and wandered off.  He meandered over to kneel before the room’s fireplace, making sure the blaze had sufficient fuel, and let out a low, long groan of boredom.  <br/><br/>This was such an ‘elderly dude’ bedroom.  The bookshelf was the only source of entertainment in the entire puny space; set up as it was beside an oaken writing desk and an antique lamp.  There was a tray on the desk that the soldiers below replaced daily, containing a glass pitcher filled with fragments of chipped ice, a small glass, and a bowl of assorted fruits. The adjacent wall housed a well-maintained fireplace, with a four-poster king bed positioned to absorb most of the heat it produced. </p><p>A hardwood floor, hardwood walls, every crack and every blemish thereon… this was a space Torchwick had become intimately familiar with in the past couple days, and it took all the self-control he could muster not to scream in frustration about this unofficial imprisonment.<br/><br/>When he was convinced the fire was going strong, he returned to his feet and approached the bed, sitting down at the foot of it and resting his elbows on his knees.</p><p> </p><p>Weiss was there; still as she’d been for more than forty-eight hours.  She lie centered on the mattress with her eyes shut tight. Her chest was rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm, and she wore a tranquil expression on her face.  There was a white bandage wrapped carefully around her forehead, and an IV had been inserted into the vein of her arm—leading to a bag of saline fluid suspended from a metal hanger beside the bed.  <br/><br/>Roman watched her sleep, his frown slowly transforming into a thoughtful smile.  He was glad she was recovering, but by the gods did he wish she would hurry it up a little bit.  Being trapped by their tether while she was stuck in bed had gotten old before the first day had passed, and it wasn’t helped by the fact that he never slept.  He was forced to pass the time by pawing through the old man’s possessions or eavesdropping on the Atlesian medics who were supervising Weiss’ recovery.</p><p> </p><p>He never slept…</p><p>The thought reminded him of what Weiss had said about seeing his memories in her dreams and made him wonder if she was seeing more of them now.  He tensed at this, his stomach twisting.  His past was something he didn’t even like remembering himself; the thought of the Ice Queen peeping through it invoked a feeling like insects crawling under his skin.  The way she’d spoken back in the mine, it sounded like she saw complete memories, too—not like the still images and emotions he’d seen of her past.</p><p>Was it because sleep made their connection stronger?  Torchwick thought about it for a while, but it was a hypothesis he had no ability to test, so he abandoned the question with a cavalier shrug.  The situation was what it was.  To be fair, she had no control over what she saw in her sleep… not that Torchwick was ever inclined to play fair. </p><p>He sat beside her, an hour passing before, for the first time since they’d returned from the mountain, Weiss finally stirred.  She groaned, rocking her head from side to side as if trying to shake a bat out of her hair, and then slowly opened her eyelids.  Pale blue eyes scanned the room for something she recognized, settling on Torchwick’s face when she found it, and focusing on him.</p><p><br/>“Good morning, sleepyhead.”  He said, flashing his most soothing smile.  Weiss responded with a quizzical look, moving to try to lift her upper body from the mattress before grimacing in pain and letting herself collapse again.  Torchwick jumped up at this, gripping her shoulders gently and helping her rise to a sitting position by stacking pillows between her back and the headboard.<br/><br/>“Easy, now!  You were concussed pretty bad, and you’ve been out for almost three days.  Not much point in rushing now.”  He scolded her, despite hoping they would have been able to rush, as well.  There wasn’t really a destination he cared about on the horizon… he just sincerely longed to be free of this house.  “I’ll bet your mouth is pretty dry, though.  Want me to get you some ice chips or something?”<br/><br/>Weiss shook her head slowly, looking around the room.<br/><br/>“Where are we?” She asked.  Her voice was raspy and weak.  Torchwick moved from the bed to give her a clearer view of her surroundings.<br/><br/>“We’re back at the old deer man’s house.  Remember that airship that rescued us from the birds?  Their medical team has been watching over you ever since.  I imagine they’ll be in to check on you before long.”  <br/><br/>Weiss turned the corner of her lip down and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, nursing her forehead with her fingertips.<br/><br/>“Right.  I remember we were running down the mountain path, and then that ship saved us.  Things get a little… hazy, after that.”<br/><br/>“I bet!  That was around the time you passed out.  I turned around and suddenly you weren’t responding anymore.  Thanks for that, by the way, it was an incredibly fun scare.  They sent a search party out for you, after the Grimm were gone.  Getting their attention without you was a pain in the ass, but as you can see, we live to fight another day.”<br/><br/>“I’m sorry for the trouble.  You’ve been surprisingly reliable, Roman.”  She said, offering him a weak smile as she began to slowly stretch her body.  Fair enough!  Torchwick had to believe almost three days of sleep would make anyone stiff.  “We’re lucky the military finally came to aid the village.”</p><p>“Right, so, about that.”  Torchwick scratched his chin, debating how much he should tell her when she’d only just woken up.  He had a funny feeling she would enjoy the twist behind this rescue.  “Well, you’ll hear about it directly from the source before long.  I can’t wait to see your face.”  <br/><br/>She glared at him, but in her current state it was a fair bit more adorable than intimidating.  He went back to the desk, picking up the platter and bringing it over to her bedside.  The chipped ice was mostly water by now, so he filled the glass, held it by the base, and helped her to carefully drink from it before peeling an apple and cutting it into sections.  She was in the process of hesitantly nibbling at the fruit when they finally heard footsteps coming up the stairs.  <br/><br/></p><p>A pair of Atlesian soldiers opened the bedroom door and stepped inside, surprise visible on their faces as they saw Weiss propped up on the bed.  <br/><br/>“Gracious!  You’re awake, hon.  I’m so sorry we didn’t hear you sooner.”  One of the soldiers said in a kindly, feminine voice.  She was a middle-aged woman, with dark brown eyes, tanned skin, and black hair cut into a circular bob around her head.  Deep lines framed the corners of her mouth, implying a life spent smiling.  <br/><br/>When she saw the tray resting in Weiss’ lap, the woman narrowed her eyes and frowned. “Did you have to go get that by yourself?  I knew one of us should have stayed behind!  Murphy, go check her vitals.”<br/><br/>“R-right!”  The man beside her seemed surprised to be called upon, but quickly hopped forward to oblige the command.  He was younger than his companion, though not much taller, with pale skin and gray eyes that seemed sunken into his skull.  His brown hair was cut and styled into a coif, which he ran his hand through absently as he worked.<br/><br/>Both of them were wearing the standard body armor of the Atlas military: A heavy metallic fabric that covered their arms, shoulders, and chests.  Most of it was white, save for a green square of the material directly in front of their shoulders, which also had a small red ‘x’ printed inside it.  That was… airship medical personnel?  Torchwick felt like it was something he should still be able to recognize, but damned if he could, so he shrugged and stopped trying.  Either way, neither of them really looked like they belonged in the military. </p><p>“Oh, no.  I only just woke up, really.”  Weiss reassured them.  She did her best to cooperate with Murphy as he came around the bed, prodding her arm as he gathered her pulse and blood pressure information and punched it into a device he produced from his pocket.  <br/><br/>“Well, it’s good news either way!  Specialist Schnee will be delighted when she comes back.”  The woman gave Weiss a reassuring nod.<br/><br/>“’Specialist Schnee’?  Winter is here?”  Weiss’ eyes lit up, and she pulled herself further up from the bed.  Man, she really did love Winter, didn’t she?  That was incomprehensible to Roman… Winter Schnee was one of the more unpleasant people he’d ever interacted with in his life.</p><p>“She’s why we’re all here!”  The medic said.  “A few days ago, we got an incident report from the village foreman: ‘Weiss Schnee went to exterminate Grimm from the mountains, never returned’.  You’ve never seen someone as determined as she was when she heard that.  She put all her weight behind having us swing through the mountain range on our way back to the capital.”<br/><br/>“Sis…” The smile on Weiss’ face grew wider at the news, and she looked toward Torchwick with happiness radiating from her expression. He gave a short laugh and returned the smile with a sigh.<br/><br/>“That’s about the size of it, Ice Queen.  In the end, it was nepotism that saved the day, not nobility.”  Torchwick said.  “I guess they did come in the end, though.  Regarding our little debate back in the mine, I’m not adverse to calling this episode a draw.”</p><p>“Kindly refrain from passing off your fantasies as truth, Ensign Pembrooke!” Before Weiss could react to Torchwick’s words, a new voice boomed in from the stairway below.  It was a voice he knew very well, and he stifled a groan at the sound of it.</p><p>Winter Schnee was the next soldier to enter the bedroom, her face an expressionless mask of professionalism as she regarded the people gathered before her, though a hint of warmth found its way into her light blue eyes as she saw Weiss was awake.</p><p>“Reports of Grimm activity have been coming in from this region for months. We had to report to General Ironwood directly anyway, so resolving this incident along the way was only reasonable.  We have a duty to our citizens, after all.”    Apparently, no one had ever warned Winter of the dangers of protesting too much.<br/><br/>“Of course, Ma’am.  Of course.”  The ensign said, flashing a wink at Weiss.  <br/><br/><em>Right… ‘duty’.  That’s why you’ve stuck around this nowhere town for so long, and why you’ve checked in on your sister damn-near every hour since you found her?</em>  Torchwick smirked.  To think people accused <em>him</em> of being roundabout with his feelings.  <br/><br/>Once Winter had established her totally professional excuse, though, it seemed her pride was satisfied.  She even allowed a small grin to break the stoicism of her face as she turned her attention toward Weiss.<br/><br/>“Still, I’m relieved to see you awake, Weiss.”  She said.  “Your injuries were fairly minor, so you should be fine after a little rest.”<br/><br/>Weiss seemed to see through her bravado as easily as everyone else, and her warm expression didn’t waver a bit as her elder sister spoke.<br/><br/>“Winter, do you have some time?  I’ve- I need to talk to you about a lot of stuff.”  When Weiss finally found her voice, this was what she said.  Winter was one of the people she was setting out to see, after all.  <br/><br/>Torchwick bristled, remembering one of the conditions she’d set on the day they teamed up.  She wanted to consult her sister for advice about him, which was… lovely.  <br/><br/>“We’ve remained here longer than we should have, already.  We need to prepare to embark tonight,” Winter sighed and shook her head, “but I can set aside a little time.  Finish eating, let them make sure you’re ready to be out of bed, and I’ll come back when I’ve finished my work.”<br/><br/>Weiss lit up like a firecracker, and Torchwick sighed.</p><p>
  <em>Well, dammit.  Guess this is happening</em>
</p><p>He wasn’t really scared, or anything.  By this point, Weiss didn’t seem like she was still contemplating getting rid of him.  Rather, the idea of being judged by someone like Winter Schnee infuriated him.  Sitting around quietly while that hypocritical lapdog pretended she had any right to look down at him, well, it promised to be a chore.<br/><br/>Winter departed shortly after that, leaving the medical officers behind to finish their examination.  Torchwick headed to the window while they worked, peering out to absently watch Weiss’ sister walk purposefully down the narrow village road.  The image of Winter from Weiss’ memories flashed in his mind for just a moment, carrying with it the feelings Weiss had for her.<br/><br/>“She was your lifeline, huh?”  He said to himself while glancing over at Weiss.  “Geez.  If Winter Schnee was the warmest person I’d known, growing up, I’d probably have issues, too.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>“Hmm…”  Winter had closed her eyes a while ago, and a deep frown had begun to tug at the corner of her lip.  She and Weiss were sitting across from one-another at the Village Elder’s dining room table, a pot of freshly brewed tea set up between them.  Weiss looked away at her sister’s reaction, drawing her steaming teacup to her mouth and sipping silently.  <br/><br/>“I realize how it sounds, but it’s all true.”  Weiss said with a firm nod.  She had told Winter everything that had transpired since Torchwick’s arrival:  about his stories of the stairway he woke up in, the events leading up to her flight from the manor, the village’s request, meeting Aibell, and the ominous threat of Aibell’s siblings.  <br/><br/>Winter expressed some worry about the severity of Weiss’ head injury at first, but otherwise listened in silence, waiting until she was certain her little sister was finished to make a sound.  The older Schnee finally opened her icy blue eyes, scanning the room around them.  <br/><br/>“So, is he here now?”  Winter’s tone was as cold as her stare.<br/><br/>“Y-yeah, he’s right over there.”  Weiss pointed to the chair at the far side of the table, where Torchwick was seated.  He had his arms crossed on the tabletop, resting his cheek against his forearm as he stared into space with a yawn.  He planned to just let the sisters do their thing.  If he listened, he’d get worked up and say something he shouldn’t.  “He’s kind of stuck close to me all the time.”<br/><br/>Winter turned her head toward him, and he felt a chill run down his spine even though she couldn’t see him.  If there was one thing he’d learned in his history with Winter, and even his recent history with Weiss, it was that the sheer, radiant contempt a Schnee woman was capable of exerting was one of the most fearsome energies in the universe.</p><p> </p><p>“I see.  Well, before anything else, Weiss, I suppose I should ask you a question.”  Winter said after a moment’s contemplation.  Torchwick breathed a sigh of relief as her attention left him, instead turning to the cup of tea beneath her, which she began to stir.  “Any advice I give you aside, what do you want to do about him?”<br/><br/>“I…”  Weiss considered the question, hesitating a moment as she looked up thoughtfully.  After a moment she returned her gaze to her sister, trying her best to look determined.<br/><br/>“I know I have a long history with him.  We both do, but still… if it’s possible, I’d like to save him.”  She hesitated for a moment, a thoughtful smile on her face.  “He’s my friend.”<br/><br/>“Snowflake…”  Despite himself, Torchwick stopped staring into space and looked over at her, wide-eyed.</p><p>‘Friend’?  He was surprised by how much it shook him to hear her say that.  The intention from the start had been to win her favor while he needed her, so having her consider him a friend was always part of the plan.  Still, between the memory sharing and the life-or-death struggles, things had managed to get so much more… complicated between them than he’d expected.</p><p>Were they friends, now?  At the very least it was true that he couldn’t bring himself to hate her anymore.  She was naïve, stubborn, and seemed to harbor a near-suicidal impulse to help others, but he didn’t even really hate those things about her, anymore.  Those traits were still frustrating as hell, though.</p><p>Winter closed her eyes again and exhaled sharply.  She released her grip on her teaspoon, bringing her hand to her face and pressing two fingers against her cheek.  <br/><br/>“Weiss, let me tell you a story.  A parable that suits this situation.”  She blinked, looking from her sister to the place where Torchwick sat, and back again.<br/><br/>“A poor farmer was patrolling his field one winter morning, when he happened upon a viper curled up in the frost.  The farmer realized that it must have failed to burrow before the cold came, and it was slowly freezing to death.  Feeling pity for the serpent, he lifted it from the ground and let it rest within his coat, hoping his body heat might save it.<br/><br/>“His efforts bore fruit, and the warmth of his breast revived the viper.  However, no sooner did it rouse, than it reared back, striking the man and digging its fangs into his neck.  The farmer fell to the ground, and death began to take him.  As he watched the serpent slither off, he smiled, and with his dying breath lamented, ‘I am justly served for showing compassion to so vile a creature.’”<br/><br/>Winter sighed as she finished, finally taking a long sip of her tea.  Weiss looked down at the table and frowned thoughtfully.  Torchwick had a hard time imagining that her sister’s opinion on the matter was surprising...  so hard a time, in fact, that he wasn’t sure why she wanted to tell Winter about him, at all.  Seeing that Weiss wasn’t speaking, her sister continued.<br/><br/>“If that story was too indirect, I have many more I can tell:  Aggravated assault, armed robbery, grand larceny, terrorism… perhaps you’d like to hear about the murder?”  Winter cast her chin upward, looking down at the place where Torchwick was sitting with a vengeful sneer.<br/><br/></p><p>“Roman Torchwick is <em>not</em> your friend, Weiss.  I don’t blame you for falling for his lies, of course. You’re young, and he has a very charming demeanor, but it’s a façade.  A silver tongue to conceal a black heart.  He hasn’t been protecting you; he’s only been protecting himself.  The instant those two things cease to be the same, he’ll betray you.”<br/><br/>Torchwick felt bile rise in his throat and had to bite his lip to maintain his silence.  This was the kind of crap he was trying to brace for!  Not the part where he was confronted with his crimes, that was fine.  He’d done a lot of terrible things in his life and would likely do many more if he regained his body. His sins were mere facts, which he felt neither pride nor shame about.<br/><br/>It was that <em>look</em> in Winter’s eyes that he couldn’t abide.  Weiss and her friends judged him too, and he gods-damned hated that, but at least it was judgement born of ignorance.  They were naïve brats who genuinely thought the world worked like a fairy tale.  Wrong, but honest.</p><p>Winter, though?  Where the hell did she get off looking down at him like that?  He pressed his tongue against his teeth, his thoughts bitterly deflecting her accusations.<br/><br/><em>Aggravated assault?  Oh, I’m sure you’ve been dispatched to suppress a civilian protest by now.  You know exactly how the military handles a difference of opinion, especially if the ‘animals’ are the source of it… and that’s just how you treat your own citizens!<br/><br/>Armed robbery?  Grand Larceny?  When you lot hit every single town outside the capital, ‘requisitioning’ so many supplies that the farmers are eternally a single bad harvest away from starvation?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>…and terrorism?  Murder!?  </em>Torchwick didn’t even bother to finish that thought any further, resisting the urge to start cackling at the sheer nerve of Winter’s accusation.<br/><br/>He’d stolen money.  He’d stolen dust.  He’d swindled nice old ladies out of their savings and picked the pockets of people even poorer than he was.  That was all peanuts compared to the military, though.  What they stole couldn’t even be fit into the same ballpark.  They marched out in lockstep and stole the freedom of all they encountered, crushing human dignity beneath their boots to project the power of their masters.<br/><br/>Roman victimized individuals, but Winter was helping the evil fossils above her to victimize civilization itself!  Winter Schnee was a collared, groomed show dog, casting judgement upon a starving stray.  The notion filled Torchwick with such a pure, unfiltered rage that he could almost feel the miasma of it radiating out of him.  <br/><br/>He realized that Weiss was looking at him, and started to panic a little as he noticed the concerned frown she was giving him.  He’d forgotten how easily their emotions could infect each other when they got strong!<br/><br/>He offered her an insincere, apologetic smile and waved his hand, as if to dismiss her worry.  <br/><br/><em>Deep breaths, Roman.  Just let them do their thing.</em>  As he tried to follow his own advice, he turned his head away from them and closed his eyes, trying not to think too much on the words being exchange.  <br/><br/>“Roman isn’t an angel, but he’s not evil, either.  It’s hard to explain why, but he wouldn’t be able to lie to me very easily.  We, uh… we share a lot.”  Weiss said earnestly.  If there was a silver lining to letting Weiss play voyeur inside his head, it was that she no longer felt like she was taking him at his word.  Torchwick couldn’t help but feel that the memories she’d seen were a little skewed, and that seemed to make her underestimate exactly how dark he’d become in the years since his childhood, but that misconception only helped him, in this situation.<br/><br/>“You’re an adult now, Weiss, I can’t tell you what to do.  You asked me for my advice, so I’m giving it to you: I’d prefer if you stopped associating with him.  I worry he’ll be a bad influence on you.”  Winter was less than convinced.  “I’ve always feared you would have a weakness for bad boys.”</p><p>Weiss groaned, her sister’s remark seeming to bring back a bad memory.  Despite himself, Torchwick turned back to look at them.  Weiss on one side, Winter on the other, looking like they could be mirror images of each other, were it not for the years separating them.  Weiss was leaning back in her seat now, cradling her teacup and looking over at her sister.  <br/><br/>Heavy subject aside, this was the most happy and relaxed Torchwick had ever seen the little Ice Queen.  Well, this was the first time he’d ever seen her interact with someone she was close to, besides ole’ Waddlesworth, so maybe that wasn’t strange.  Still!  Weiss had spent all her formative years looking up to her sister and trying to emulate her.  It was no wonder they’d come to look so similar.  She’d been a lonely little kid, and her sister was her only companion.<br/><br/><em>Was this how Neo saw me, this whole time?</em><br/><br/>The thought cut him like a knife, as most thoughts of Neo had, since he’d returned to life.  Between his…’intimate’ encounter with a Grimm, the weird circumstances of his return, and all the excitement of helping the Ice Queen escape her cage, he’d never really had the chance to stop and really comprehend the fact that his little partner was really dead.  That he was living in a world that no longer had Neo in it.<br/><br/>Perhaps that was why he tried to stay so focused on his ambition to return to life, and spun all his memories of Neo into hatred toward Little Red for killing her.  It was much easier for a man like Torchwick to use ambition and anger productively than it was for him to process such an intimate loss.  Any time he allowed himself to directly think about Neo’s death, an intense cavity of despair began to swell within his core.  <br/><br/>That empty sorrow was so bottomless and black that if he let himself sink into it, he might never emerge again…<br/><br/>“This story about a stairway does concern me a little, I confess.”  Winter’s voice stirred him from his thoughts, and he realized he’d missed a bit of their conversation when he’d gotten distracted.  “If we were merely taking Torchwick at his word, I’d assume it was a lie to manipulate you, but I don’t believe you’re lying about the Grimm you encountered.”<br/><br/>“She called herself the ‘youngest daughter of the fabled’.”  Weiss confirmed with a resolute nod.  “and the way she talked to Roman as she was dying… I think he’s telling the truth.”<br/><br/>“All the more reason to cease your association with him, Weiss.”  Winter said with a stern shake of her head, but she massaged her temples with her fingertips and continued, “Still, if his presence in this world represents a danger to their scheme, perhaps there is some merit in allowing him to remain connected to someone in Remnant.  I just wish I could transfer that burden to someone a bit more… wise to the world.”</p><p><em>Aw, you jealous of your sister?  I’m flattered, but not really interested in changing dance partners.</em>  Torchwick finally felt calm enough to regain his persona of indifferent confidence.  He wasn’t sure if it was even possible to transfer himself to someone else at this point, but the thought made him grimace, regardless.  With Neo gone, Weiss was, perhaps, the only person left in the world he found tolerable.<br/><br/>… Now <em>that</em> was a strange thought.  <br/><br/>“I’ll be fine.  I won’t be alone with him forever, we’re on our way to find my friends.  Oh, I wanted to ask about that, while you’re here!”<br/><br/>Oh right… her friends.  Torchwick groaned.  Maybe getting stuck to the Lapdog wouldn’t be the end of the world.  <br/><br/>“I’ll help however I can, though I can’t promise much.  It’s possible they’ve been swept up in the conspiracy General Ironwood and Ozpin were discussing.”  Winter finished the cup of tea before her and set it down, closing her eyes and taking another deep breath.  “This business with the talking Grimm doesn’t line up with anything I’ve heard about that, either.  How many schemes are hidden in the shadows of Remnant, I wonder?”</p><p>“Wait, what?”  Weiss cocked her head.  Did she not know about that, already?  Torchwick found that surprising.  He was about as low on the totem pole as it was possible to be in the Witch’s little army of darkness, but even he had his suspicions about who the players involved were.<br/><br/>Winter shook her head.<br/><br/>“It’s… not really something I should be discussing in public.  I’m not certain I can wrap my head around what details I’ve heard, in the first place.  I have a feeling you’ll find out more about the Ozpin mess in your own time.</p><p>“However, Weiss, the world is on the precipice of something terrible.  I’ve half a mind to take you into my custody and return you to the manor… at least we could protect you there.  Since I can’t bring myself to do that, I just had to see for myself that you understood the situation you were facing.  If I had been just a little later in arriving here, you would have died!  Next time, I may be too late.”<br/><br/>“You don’t have to worry about me so much!”  Weiss protested, though the contented smile on her face seemed to imply that she appreciated the worry, all the same.  “I’m not someone you have to think about protecting, anymore.  I’m a huntress!  I made a mistake this time, but I learned from it.  Next time, I won’t be alone.”<br/><br/>The two locked eyes and shared an expression that Torchwick couldn’t parse.  He wasn’t sure if they were arguing or if this was just a bonding moment for them.  He didn’t get long to ponder it before Winter broke the silence between them.<br/><br/>“I guess nothing remains to be said, then.”  She said in a tone of firm pride, her lips also threatening to pull into a smile.  She pushed back her seat and began to rise.  “I wanted to make sure my concerns were aired, but I never had any intention of commanding you.  Believe me, Weiss, I understand how important it is for you to choose this path for yourself.  We have the same Father, after all.”<br/><br/>Torchwick could swear the temperature in the room dropped by ten degrees as the older Schnee daughter cut her eyes in his direction, somehow landing squarely upon him despite her inability to see him.  He found himself looking away from her gaze like a mischievous schoolboy being eyed by his teacher.<br/><br/>“Torchwick.”  All love vanished from her voice as she called to him, leaving only the cold detachment he’d come to expect from her.  “You may fool Weiss, but I see you for the snake you are.  If you do anything that brings her to harm, I will hurt you.  You will never need fear this stairway of yours again, nor the judgement of the gods, nor the fires of hell itself.  I will find a way to reach you, and I will destroy you so utterly that not even a pillar of dust remains.”</p><p>Torchwick exhaled through his nose and rolled his eyes.  That was the second time he’d been cursed in as many days.  He’d even been behaving himself this time!<br/><br/><em>I’m sorry, what was that, Winter?  ‘Gee, Roman!  I must thank you from the bottom of my heart for single-handedly dragging my baby sister out of a hole and carrying her to safety!  I sure am lucky that you’re around, actually protecting her, while I’m too busy oppressing the innocent for my masters like a good dog.’?  Hey, no problem!  It’s great to be appreciated!<br/><br/></em>Torchwick was done!  While the sisters said their farewells, he leaned back in his chair and stretched.  It wasn’t as though he’d ever intended to hurt the little Ice Queen after he got his body back.  Even back when the original plan was still on, he figured he’d just go his own way and enjoy the criminal life again.<br/><br/>Well, he did intend to strangle Little Red someday.  Would Weiss consider it a betrayal if she helped him return to life and he went on to murder her best friend?  Surely not!<br/><br/>…huh.  Maybe he <em>was</em> a viper.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Before evening had even started rolling in, they were already on the move.  Weiss’s first few steps were wobbly and uncertain, but by the time they’d covered half the distance to where they’d landed their airship, she was walking so normally you’d never know she was injured at all.  There was an unmistakable pep in her stride as she shuffled through the snow a pace ahead of Torchwick, absently flicking through her scroll.  <br/><br/>“I assume by your high spirits that you’re feeling better.  Get what you needed from the Ice Empress?”  He asked.  Aura really was an astoundingly convenient thing, wasn’t it?  She fell the height of a tall building and may as well have scraped her knees as a result.  If anything, it seemed the biggest reason it took her a while to regain her legs was that she was weakened from sleeping for so long.  <br/><br/>“I am, and I did, yes.”  Weiss replied, still wearing a fragment of the smile she’d departed their meeting with.  “Wait, so Winter is the ‘Empress’ then?  I suppose that’s acceptable.”<br/><br/>Well, that certainly wasn’t his preferred nickname for Winter Schnee, but he didn’t bother pointing that out.  He didn’t feel like sitting through the lecture Weiss would hurl at him if she heard him disrespecting her beloved older sister.<br/><br/>“You know me, Snowflake.”  Torchwick grinned.  “If there’s one sentiment everyone should associate with Roman Torchwick, it’s ‘respect for authority.’  Where are we headed?”<br/><br/>Weiss’ scroll flashed, and she returned it to her pocket before looking back at him.<br/><br/>“The destination hasn’t changed.  We’re Mistral bound.  Winter says the villagers had already repaired our craft by the time she got here.”<br/><br/>“Sporting of them, considering they sent us out to die, and all.”  Torchwick didn’t bother veiling the contempt in his voice, looking at the houses they passed.  He hadn’t seen a villager outside ever since the military arrived, but he could still feel suspicious eyes gazing out at Weiss from between blinds and under curtains.  He could see why an insular group of faunus would make themselves scarce when the Atlesian military rolled into town, but it was still creepy.    “…and your sister is really okay with just letting us go?”</p><p>“Well, she’s not okay with letting <em>you</em> go,” Weiss corrected, raising a finger in exclamation, “but what can she do about it?  They can’t exactly arrest you, right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Invisibility, the ability to phase through objects, <em>and</em> legal immunity?  Y’know, if I could somehow drink and smoke this whole ghost thing would be a pretty sweet setup.”<br/><br/>“Just don’t go scheming to use your superpowers for evil while I’m around!  I didn’t ask to be stuck to you, but since I am, I’m keeping an eye on you.” Weiss crossed her arms and cast her gaze upward, her tone equal parts annoyed and playful.  Torchwick couldn’t help but notice that Weiss always seemed to enjoy scolding people.  More evidence for his pet theory that she was only genuinely happy when she could also be a little annoyed by someone.<br/><br/>“You are so much more high maintenance than my last girlfriend, Ice Queen.”  He said with a shrug.  Weiss stopped in her tracks for just a moment, letting out an audible squeak before picking up her pace.<br/><br/>“Oh, cut that out!”  She exclaimed with a huff, balling her hands into fists in a display of anger that would have been much more convincing if her cheeks weren’t such an adorable shade of pink.  He gave an apologetic nod, and the pair of them continued down the street.<br/><br/>As they neared the clearing where they’d brought down their craft, an enormous silhouette in the snow gave them pause, though as they drew closer Torchwick realized he recognized them.  He’d know the stout, joyless face of the old deer man anywhere.  <br/><br/>“So.  You’re leaving.”  Edward’s voice boomed.  He stood like an unmoving oak tree as Weiss approached, with his muscular arms crossed and his feet planted firmly in the snow.  He did a much better job of projecting calm authority than the Ice Queen usually did, that much was for sure.<br/><br/>“That’s right.”  Weiss said in a cool tone, standing a little taller and hardening her expression as soon as she saw who was waiting for her. </p><p> </p><p>This was the exciting part for Torchwick!  Weiss generally wasn’t shy about letting people know when they displeased her, and this guy just tried to kill her.  She may have been bending over backwards to give the village the benefit of the doubt, but surely a bit of a tongue lashing wasn’t out of the question, right?<br/><br/>Hearing her answer, the foreman nodded his head solemnly, an act that caused the ebony antlers on his head to gleam in the late afternoon sun.  He turned toward his daughter, who was trembly behind him, and gave her a meaningful look.  <br/><br/>“Erica?”<br/><br/>The young cervine faunus sighed and shuffled out from behind him.  She had a black velvet bag, about the same size as her head, and she carried it by its drawstring top, holding it out to Weiss as she scampered up to her.<br/><br/>“I’m really sorry I tricked you, Weiss.”  The child’s eyes flickered with tears as she pressed her gift against Weiss’ stomach.  “I really do like you a lot, but I had to…”<br/><br/>Weiss offered Erica a weak smile, kneeling to tussle the red hair between her small, stubby horns before pulling the bag open.  An array of vials was packed inside, each filled with different types of dust.  What she’d stolen the other day?  Maybe, but it looked like way more than what Weiss had on her back then.<br/><br/>“A return of what’s rightfully yours, and an offering for services rendered.”  The old faunus explained.  “Unlike my daughter, you’ll receive no apology from me.  The lives of everyone in this village rest upon my shoulders, and I do not take that lightly.”<br/><br/>Weiss drew the drawstring taut again, giving Erica a warm nod before she returned to her feet, her eyes locking with the elder.  A tense silence filled the air as they both tried to out-stoic the other.<br/><br/>“That’s fine.  Hopefully, your lives will go back to normal now.”  When Weiss finally spoke.  Torchwick gave an exasperated sigh, but wasn’t really that surprised, anymore.  Weiss almost never behaved the way he wanted her to.<br/><br/>The old faunus gave an amused snort and smiled down at her.<br/><br/>“The very same to you, then.  You were an interesting woman, huntress with two souls.”  The two of them gave her a final nod and began to walk away, leaving Torchwick passively wondering where they’d even been staying since the military requisitioned their home.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you really okay with letting it end like that?  Really?  Not even one expletive?” Only after the two faunus had begun to shrink into the distance did Torchwick finally lean down to whisper to his host.  She laughed softly in reply.<br/><br/>“Roman, do you remember what the medics said this morning?  About the report they received from the village?”<br/><br/>The question gave him pause.  They had said something about that, sure.<br/><br/>“Right, that ‘Weiss Schnee had gone missing hunting a Grimm’, or something? What about it?”<br/><br/>“We were only in the mine for a few hours, and the airship saved us that same night. Based on when the ship got there, the foreman would have to have sent the message immediately after I left, but the request made it sound like I’d been missing for a while.”<br/><br/>“Snowflake, I recognize that you can be a sharp cookie when you want to be… but I’ll be frank with you for a minute: I have no idea what you’re trying to imply.”<br/><br/>Weiss took a deep breath, and turned to face him.  The sunlight falling from overhead spread across the snow all around them, reflecting behind her like a spotlight and illuminating her body.  When she finished turning, and her light blue eyes gazed directly into his, that spotlight hugged the outline of her form, adding a halo of gold to the silver hue of her hair.<br/><br/>Torchwick was taken aback, despite himself.  It wasn’t something he thought about often, but the Ice Queen really was beautiful.<br/><br/><br/>“I was pretty upset about it when I realized my dust was gone.” She admitted, a hint of frustration edging into her voice. “Honestly, I did have some… choice words I wanted to share with them before we left, but when I heard about that report, I realized something about the foreman’s plan.  <br/><br/>“First, they sent me into the mine.  If I died, they could claim I was a sacrifice for the village.  That would still leave them with a Grimm extorting them, though, so they sent out yet another plea for help from the military, this time mentioning my name, since I’m a member of the Schnee family.  Either the military comes to kill the Grimm, I kill the Grimm, or— worst case—they sacrifice a stranger and buy themselves more time.  No matter what, the village is safe.”<br/><br/>“Sure, I get that.  I guess I should have been a bit more specific about what had me puzzled: why does any of this make you any more okay with the whole attempted murder thing, again?”<br/><br/>“Because when I thought about what he wanted to do, I saw some inconsistencies!  Aibell arranged for them to send me to my death, but think about it--  If they’d drugged me, disarmed me, and dropped me off in the mine, I would be dead and it would be obvious to Aibell they did as she asked.  If they wanted to use my name to lure the military in to save them, they could still do it afterward.  Instead, they stole my dust. Then they sent their SOS as soon as I left.”<br/><br/>Well, that was true, Torchwick had to concede.  Erica had quick little hands, so slipping drugs into her tea would have been easier and more direct than picking her pocket at the last minute.  <br/><br/>“I think I see what you’re getting at, now.  It’s unhealthy to give people that much benefit of the doubt, Snowflake.”  He said.  “You know what, though?  This was a good life experience for you, and we’re still alive to talk about it.  I’m gonna go ahead and call it a win, all things considered.”<br/><br/>“They may have been willing to kill me, but I don’t think they wanted to.  My safety was never their priority, but they did as much as they could to make sure I survived, while still protecting the village.”  Weiss shrugged at his assessment of her worldview.  “Remember what your dad said?  ‘People like to fight, but we always come together when it counts.’”<br/><br/>Torchwick narrowed his eyes, turning away from her so she couldn’t see the grimace that had come unbidden to his lips.  Of course he remembered!  That was a day he’d never forget, no matter how hard he tried.<br/><br/>“Don’t go repeating everything you hear in my head, Ice Queen.  You might pick up even more vulgar language.”  He said, a less personal version of what he’d actually been thinking: ‘Don’t talk like my old man, because I don’t want you to follow in his footsteps.’<br/><br/>Torchwick’s hollow smile had returned by the time he faced her again,  with neither his face nor his eyes betraying any sort of conflict, for he’d long since mastered projecting confidence.  Inside, however, hearing those words had stirred a strange feeling in him.  His thoughts went back to his father… back in that small farm town he’d grown up in.  His old man was always smiling.  Always assuming the best in everyone.<br/><br/><em>And to what end? </em>He bitterly thought.<br/><br/>He took a deep breath and moved beside Weiss, casting a sidelong glance toward her.  Her eyes were focused squarely ahead, and her mouth was a flat, determined line.  They returned to the airship and began the preparations to finally leave this mountain behind them.  However, even long after they were airborne, that feeling didn’t leave him.<br/><br/>What the hell was wrong with him, these days?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry this week’s chapter is late!  Not only was it a 7500 word monster, but my work schedule shifted suddenly this week, leaving me with less time to write.  More than that, it was a pretty hard chapter for me to write.  Last week’s chapter was the emotional climax of this story’s first act, so this week’s chapter was the denouement.  This is an exciting milestone, in that it’s literally the first time I’ve ever stuck with a story long enough to reach that point… but it also turned out a little more difficult than I thought it would be.</p><p>Anyway, I’m not here to complain!  I’m glad so many people have enjoyed this story!  Next week’s chapter is a pretty special one, so I hope you keep enjoying!  Be sure to share your feedback, and I’ll do my best to keep writing until the end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Toward Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss and Torchwick pass the time on a long flight.  Ominous forces begin to emerge from the shadows to meet them</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Weiss Schnee</strong>
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</p>
<p>“All I’m sayin’ is that you should consider it.  You’ve got this sort of ‘greatest hits’ collection you like to fall back on, which is cute in its own way, but you’re stuck to the master anyway—Why not learn from him?”  Torchwick’s tone was jovial as he chastised her.</p>
<p>Weiss leaned back against the thick padding of her chair and furrowed her brow thoughtfully.  A deck of cards had been dealt between them, and Torchwick had his hand spread out in front of her, inviting her to pick one.  <br/><br/>“The ‘master’?  Oh please.”  Weiss rolled her eyes, finally leaning forward and reaching out to the cards he was offering.  She picked one at random, pulling it up from his hand and turning it around to see it.  The three of clubs… she was still safe.  She put it together with the three of hearts in her own hand and tossed them down onto the table that was set up between their chairs.  <br/><br/>“I know you’re the Ice Queen and all, but surely you’re not cold enough to deny that I’m reasonably witty, as wily rogues go.”  He feigned sadness at her rejection, reaching out to pull a card from her hand. </p>
<p>“I admit, part of me does envy the ease with which you can express yourself.”  She sighed as she took her next turn.  “Perhaps my repertoire of insults is a bit… limited.”<br/><br/>Weiss wasn’t sure how they’d fallen onto this topic, exactly.  They were several hours into their flight to Mistral, by now.  Knowing how long the trip would be, she’d originally wanted to try to sleep through it, but her body was less than cooperative with that goal, since she’d just finished napping for several days.  <br/><br/>Besides, that wouldn’t really be fair to Torchwick, who’d already had to sit around doing nothing while she recovered.  So instead they returned to the same cabin they’d sat down in when she first departed the manor on that fateful night. She found a deck of cards under the table, and since Torchwick could use his hands this time around, they settled on passing the time playing card games… though Weiss’ sheltered upbringing and lack of a social circle meant that she only knew how to play the ones they taught children.</p>
<p>Being back here reminded her of that night. Her escape felt like it had happened a decade ago, despite only being a few days earlier.</p>
<p>“That’s okay!  Admitting to a problem is the first step toward correcting it.”  Torchwick’s emerald-green eyes sparkled mischievously as he smiled behind his cards.  “Tell you what… the next time you’re in a position where you want to insult someone, let me know.  I’ll walk you through how to do it properly.  Think of me as the ‘Cyrano’ of your passive aggression!”</p>
<p>Weiss couldn’t help but chuckle at this.  She pictured herself getting frustrated with Ruby, outlandish as <em>that</em> was to imagine, and giving her a verbal teardown as Roman whispered into her ear like a consigliere advising a mob boss.</p>
<p>“I’ll think about it.”</p>
<p>“I hope so!  We’ll have to sharpen up that rapier wit of yours if you’re going to make your debut as a dust smuggler.”  They played a few more turns of their game, with Weiss letting out a sigh of relief each time she turned over a card and saw it wasn’t the Joker.  Roman had been dealt the ‘old maid’, so she would win if she didn’t pull it from his hand. </p>
<p>“Ugh, you never give that a rest, do you?”  Weiss exhaled through her nose, absently twirling a finger through her ponytail.  Roman flashed a devious smile, the twinkle still strong in his eyes.<br/><br/>“Oh, I take the business very seriously,” He crossed his arms and nodded firmly as he spoke.  “Lest you forget, not too long ago I stole most of the dust in an entire kingdom.  Did half of it with Junior’s worthless-ass rental henchmen, too.  I deserve a medal just for that.”</p>
<p>“Riiiiiight, and tell me, Roman: How <em>did</em> that little scheme of yours end up working out?”  Weiss narrowed her gaze, frowning like a disappointed mother.  Roman sighed in reply, rolling his shoulders upward. </p>
<p>“Every criminal mastermind is going to hit a few bumps along his road, Snowflake.  I couldn’t do much about the Witch co-opting my operation, but in my defense, if the White Fang had just performed their part competently, it may have all worked out anyway.”</p>
<p>The white fang?  Was he talking about that business with the underground train?  The thought made Weiss shudder… that battle wasn’t one of her fonder memories.</p>
<p>“Is that what makes you a mastermind?  Hanging back and letting your lackeys do all the actual work?”  It was Weiss’ turn to smirk as she needled Roman. </p>
<p>“Yes!”  He said, so firmly it made Weiss jump a bit, he extended his index finger upward as if to belabor the point.  “That’s what a mastermind does: he delegates.  A general who throws his life away fighting in the trenches is a bad general.  A criminal who gets his own hands dirty when he has a competent second-in-command is a bad criminal.  Granted, no one could ever accuse me of being overburdened with competent subordinates.”</p>
<p>Weiss shook her head, but her smirk didn’t fade.  Torchwick really was an unceasing tide of self-assurance, wasn’t he?  Annoying as it could be, Weiss found herself envious of that part of him, as well.  While she tried to project a haughty, confident air, deep down she was a walking bundle of insecurity.  Perhaps that was why the two of them resonated so strongly… for better or for worse, talking to him left her feeling like she could conquer the world. </p>
<p>Wait, though.  This talk of ‘masterminds’ and being reminded of their encounter on the train brought something else to her mind… Her meeting with Winter.</p>
<p>As far as Weiss had known, the only time her sister and Roman had ever interacted was when Winter oversaw his arrest following the underground train incident.  Weiss didn’t figure that they liked each other, obviously, but she assumed their relationship was detached and fleeting enough that they didn’t think about each other much, either way. </p>
<p>That assumption was challenged by the way they behaved toward one another during that meeting, though.  Her sister didn’t just hold Roman Torchwick in the same passive contempt she held all criminals and enemies of Atlas, she <em>despised</em> him.  Torchwick, in turn, seemed to share equally intense feelings about her.</p>
<p>Weiss closed her eyes, remembering that sensation of fury that had bombarded her during Winter’s warning about trusting Torchwick.  She had been listening to her elder sister’s words, somewhat resigned to the lecture she knew she had coming after saying he was her friend, when a white-hot rage suddenly fell over her.  It didn’t belong to her, but it sank into her regardless, and nearly swept her away.  Roman had tried to play it off when their eyes met afterward, but it was clear something Winter had said deeply upset him. </p>
<p>“Roman… Do you and Winter know each other?  Like, really know each other?”  The question escaped Weiss before she’d even fully decided she wanted to ask it.  Roman jerked his head back at this, giving her a curious look.</p>
<p>“Where’d that come from?”  He asked, not bothering to conceal his confusion. </p>
<p>Ah, right.  From his perspective that must have felt like a non-sequitur.  <br/><br/>“I just remembered how upset both of you got when I was talking to her yesterday.  It made me feel like there was something personal there.”</p>
<p>Torchwick was silent for a second, straightening his gaze as he flattened the playing cards in his hand.  <br/><br/>“I feel like I definitely mentioned it way back when we partnered up, Ice Queen.”  He finally said, giving her a charming wink.  “Winter Schnee and I are <em>great</em> friends.”<br/><br/>Seeing that this wasn’t quite enough to satisfy Weiss’ curiosity, he sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.</p>
<p>“Listen, the ‘how’ of it boggles my mind, but I get that you’ve got a lot of love for your big sister.  I respect that, I do!  That said, my life ain’t an open book.  A gentleman thief needs to have some mystery about him, right?”<br/><br/>That was certainly true.  Torchwick loved to talk and was his own favorite subject, but he never discussed his past beyond the most superficial possible topics.  That dreamlike moment back in the mine was the only time he’d ever shared anything about himself that wasn’t in some way a half truth or a deflection.  <br/><br/>It was especially frustrating now, because, while she was genuinely interested in learning more about his past, her curiosity here was more centered around Winter than Roman.  Weiss had grown up idolizing her sister, and when Winter escaped from the manor in her own way, it felt like a piece of Weiss had been taken away with her.</p>
<p>That was why that period of Winter’s life interested Weiss, and why the promise of a glimpse into it appealed to her.  She knew it was immature and silly, but in a weird way it was like part of her was still that abandoned child, wanting to know what was so important to her big sister that she had to leave her behind to get it.</p>
<p>“Oh, come on, Snowflake.  Don’t make that face.”  Torchwick groaned and looked away from her.  “Telling you ‘no’ feels like kicking a puppy.”<br/><br/>Face?  Was she making a face?  She had gotten a little lost in thought for a moment, there.  Torchwick took a deep breath, looking down at the table between them.<br/><br/>“Tell you what, I can see that this is important to you.  I owe you a lot, so let’s do this:  I propose a change to our game here…”   He continued.  He fanned out the cards remaining in his hand.  “I have four cards left in my hand, see?  Three normal cards, and one joker.”<br/><br/>He laid each of the four face-down on the table, sliding them apart so they lay in a neat row at the center of the surface.  <br/><br/>“I’m… not really a ‘title’ guy, but let’s call this new game, uh… ‘I dream of genie’!  Here’s how it works:  You’re the human, and one night in your dreams you happen upon me, the genie.  You can make any request you wish of me, but if you do you have to flip a card.  Flip up any card except the joker, and I’ll make your wish come true…  For each of the first two wishes, I’ll give you another hint about what you want to know.  If you manage to get all three, I’ll tell you the whole story.”<br/><br/>“What if I flip up the joker, though?”  Weiss leaned forward; her blue eyes fixed upon the cards he’d laid out. </p>
<p>“Then you wake up.”  Torchwick responded firmly.  “The game ends right then and there.  So, what do you say?  Maybe you learn what you want, maybe I get to keep all my secrets.  Either way, it’s nothing personal.  We can blame luck.  You’ll have, like, a 10% chance of getting your answers.”</p>
<p>“25%, actually.”  Weiss corrected, eliciting another warm laugh from her ghostly partner.</p>
<p>“Huh!  You know, you always felt like the kind of person who would be good at math!”</p>
<p>Weiss looked up at him.  He stared back.  His face was the usual mask of confident amusement.  Well, if he was offering the chance to learn more, she may as well take it…</p>
<p>“Sounds interesting.  Let’s play.”  She said with a nod.  His smile transformed into a toothy grin. </p>
<p>“That’s the spirit!  Fortune favors the bold.” He brought his forearm to his knee and leaned downward, jerking his head toward the cards on the table. His tone was chipper, but the good spirit displayed by his voice and body language didn’t quite reach his eyes.  “Pick a card.”<br/><br/>Weiss took a deep breath, suddenly a bit nervous, despite herself.  She wasn’t really risking anything with this game, but she was competitive by nature… if she was going to play, she wanted to win!  Right now, she had a 75% chance of moving forward, though, so after a moment’s hesitation she extended one of her small hands out over the table, her fingertips dancing in the air as she debating which card to choose.</p>
<p>She tapped her middle finger against the back of each card in turn, as if hoping she might magically scry what each card was, until she got to the last card in the line, which she gripped and turned around.  She tensed as she flipped the card, laying it upright for both to see.</p>
<p>The nine of spades.  Torchwick looked away and arched his shoulders, giving a resigned shake of his head.<br/><br/>“Yeah, the Ice Empress and I have met.  We’ve met with prejudice.”  He finally said, slouching back in his seat and propping his feet up on the corner of the table.  “We were colleagues for a hot minute, but most of our interactions have been from opposite sides of the legal playground.  She played the Javert to my Valjean, I guess you could say.  As you can imagine, we’ve been prone to a few unhappy differences of opinion.”</p>
<p>Colleagues?  If Weiss hadn’t been in such a stable position she may have doubled over at the thought.  Roman and Winter seemed completely incompatible, so it was hard for her to imagine them on the same team.</p>
<p>“Did you go to the academy together?  Or maybe you were in the military with her?”  She asked.  Roman didn’t seem like he fit into either option, but where else could he and Winter have worked together?<br/><br/>Torchwick clicked his tongue reproachfully, wagging a finger at her.  <br/><br/>“Now, now, Snowflake.  Asking two questions with one wish is cheating.  If you want the full story there, you’ll need to beat <em>way</em> worse odds than three-in-four.”<br/><br/>Weiss glared at him, more a gesture of playful frustration than any sort of genuine malice, and when this act elicited nothing but a casual wink in reply she sighed, and reached for the cards once again.  Three face-down cards remained.  Her odds of victory were still at 66%.  <br/><br/>She flipped over the middle card this time, and the smile plastered to Torchwick’s face flickered for just an instant as the queen of diamonds revealed herself.</p>
<p>“Seems lady luck is biased against the dead.  Shame, that.  You’d think we need luck the most!”<br/><br/>“If it’s too uncomfortable for you, you don’t have to keep going.”  Weiss offered.  Roman was such a guarded guy that she felt a little guilty to be prying.  Especially for a motivation as selfish and personal as curiosity about her sister. </p>
<p>“I wouldn’t have proposed the game if I weren’t willing to follow through.  The risk of losing is what makes gambling fun!  Now, where were we… ah, right!  You wanted to know about me and the Ice Empress working together.  Let’s see what I’m willing to say about that for a second wish.”  He scratched the side of his head, closing one eye while the other looked to the side thoughtfully.  A few seconds later he suddenly nodded, as if agreeing with himself.</p>
<p>“Your sister, by happenstance, was present during the worst day of my life.  I don’t hate her for that, really.  Not like she personally did anything to me back then.  It’s more like, we both had to face a harsh truth about the world, and our reactions to it put us on… different career paths.</p>
<p>“She had the opportunity to reject some seriously bad vibes, but instead she became a dog.  Well, that’s not fair. We were both dogs from the start, she just decided she was more willing to be collared by scumbags than I was.  If I’m going to behave like a rabid wolf, I’m doing it for myself.”<br/><br/>Before Weiss could start to process anything else, she needed to give voice to her knee-jerk frustration.  She crossed her arms tightly, her glare growing fiercer as her gaze pierced into his.</p>
<p>“My sister is <em>not</em> a dog, Roman.”  She said in an icy tone.  Weiss loved dogs, and she loved her sister, but she was less than crazy about any conflation of the two.  Roman looked away from her, a wistful glint flickering in his eye for a moment before he reformed the mask of amusement over his face.  He returned his gaze to hers and offered a soft chuckle.<br/><br/>“Sorry, sorry.  My mouth got away from me, there.  No disrespect of your saintly sis was intended.  I’m not angry at her, just disappointed!  Keep it under your hat, but she’d be one hell of a dust smuggler.”</p>
<p><br/>Weiss remained silent, the lines of her forehead deepening as she closed her eyes and pressed her face into her palm.  He could be so annoying when he wanted to be, though resisting the urge to giggle was harder than she wanted to admit.</p>
<p><br/>“Roman.  You are a dolt.  I want you to know that.”  When she finally spoke again, this was all she could manage. <br/><br/>“You must want me to know that, yeah.”  He replied coolly.  “You bring it up with alarming regularity.”</p>
<p>Weiss groaned, but the exchange did finally give her time to parse the full implication of the vague story Torchwick was telling her.  <br/><br/>The worst day of his life?  Was Winter involved in something bad?  Ugh!  He had a talent for always answering personal questions in such a way that the answers only left further questions.  <br/><br/>A chime suddenly echoed through the cabin, drawing their attention to the intercom in the far corner of the room.</p>
<p>“Just keepin’ ya in the loop, Ms. Schnee.”  The pilot’s voice crackled through the worn speaker, underlined by an electronic hiss.  “We’ve entered Mistral airspace.  Probably about an hour away from the landing site now, so if you’re in a hurry, better start getting your stuff together soon.”</p>
<p>Another chime sounded, followed by silence.  Weiss turned her attention to the large window beside them, gazing out into the open sky.  They may have entered Mistral airspace, but there still wasn’t any land to be seen in any direction around then.  Nothing but the blue of the sky spreading downward until it became the blue of the sea.</p>
<p>“Mistral.”  Weiss said thoughtfully, letting her forehead rest against the glass.  “We finally made it…”<br/><br/>If Winter’s information was to be trusted, Ruby was in Mistral.  She hadn’t heard anything concrete about Yang or Blake, but she had a funny feeling she was going to find them while she was here, too.  It had been a long road to get here, but she was finally going to see them again.  All of them.</p>
<p>“Gotta admit, I wasn’t sure we’d make it, either.  Would have been darkly comical if that nonsense in the mountains held us up until Atlas closed their borders.”  Roman was sitting in the same position as earlier, glancing out the window as a thoughtful expression spread across his face.<br/><br/>“Have you ever been to Mistral, Roman?”  She met his gaze out of the corner of her eye, still resting her head against the cool glass before her.  The last time she’d relaxed like this, she suffered a nasty bonk, but what were the odds of that happening again, right?<br/><br/>“Nah, this is a first for me.  Hear the food’s good.  The people seem to be a bit more divisive, but eh.  I’m not in a position to do much personal interaction, anyway.”</p>
<p>“Ha!  I guess this’ll be a new experience for both of us, then.” Thoughts of her impending reunion had her heart racing, and she felt a strange tightness in her stomach as she hesitantly turned from the window and back toward the cabin.   It wasn’t as though she didn’t still have a long way to go, but she finally felt like she was making real progress toward her goal.</p>
<p>Her eyes returned to the two face-down cards on the table, and she blinked, sorting out her thoughts and feelings.<br/><br/>“You know what?  I changed my mind.  You don’t have to tell me about what happened between you and Winter.” <br/><br/>This jerked Torchwick from his thoughts, who raised an eyebrow at her.<br/><br/>“You sure?  I mean, I ain’t gonna fight you if want to back off, but you seemed pretty curious.” </p>
<p>“I am curious.  I’m so curious I can’t stand it!” Weiss scrunched up her face, giving him a resolute nod.  “It sounds like Winter went through something terrible.  I hate that she’s never told me about it.  It’s just…”<br/><br/>She paused and took a breath.  The fact that Torchwick was willing to share something so personal to himself just to make her feel better did mean a lot to her, but she could tell that she was pushing her way into a memory that was deeply important to him.  He was never direct about these kinds of things, but she liked to think she had a pretty good sense for when he was trying to protect himself.<br/><br/>After a moment she smiled, shaking her head.<br/><br/>“…It’s fine.  I don’t want to hear about it like this.  I know you’ll tell me about it when you want to.” <br/><br/></p>
<p>Torchwick looked her over, trying to figure out where her sudden change of heart had come from, but after a while he leaned back, letting his arms drape over the back of his seat as he closed his eyes.</p>
<p>“Well listen to you being considerate, Ice Queen.”  He was playing cool as always, but the relief in his voice was palpable.  “I appreciate it, though.  Maybe I’ll tell you about that whole mess someday.  Maybe you’ll get to peep at it the next time you doze off.  Either way, I don’t mind avoiding the discussion today.  We can just cancel the last round of our game.”<br/><br/>Cancel the game?  Weiss grunted in amusement.  She brought her chin to rest against the heel of her hand as she looked up at the much taller man, a condescending smirk spreading across her lips.<br/><br/>“Oh, don’t misunderstand me.  I have no intention of letting you off the hook that easily, Roman. I still have a wish on the table.” Weiss clarified, her smirk growing like a weed.  “The rules of the game didn’t specify that I had to ask a question, did they?”</p>
<p>“I’m not crazy about where this might be going, but I suppose I did say you could ask for anything… why?”  Torchwick narrowed his eyes, but Weiss kept her gaze on his, unblinking.<br/><br/>“I’ll flip over one more card.  If it’s the joker, then the game ends, like we agreed.  If it’s not, though.”  She paused, in part for dramatic effect, but also to give herself one final chance to decide whether to follow through with her request.  “…If it’s not, then for the rest of the time we’re stuck together, I want you to call me ‘Weiss’.”</p>
<p>“Uhm… what?”  Torchwick knitted his brow.</p>
<p>“You heard me!  No more ‘Ice Queen’, no more ‘Snowflake’, nor any other ice-themed nickname you’ve ever felt tempted to call me.  If I win this game, you have to call me ‘Weiss’.”<br/><br/>Only the hum of the airship’s engines could be heard as the pair of them stared each other down, Torchwick tilting his head a bit as he seemed unsure if he’d heard her correctly.</p>
<p>“You sure that’s what you want, Snowflake?  Seems like a wasted wish to me.  You said it yourself the other day: I have a nickname for everyone.”</p>
<p>Exactly!  Honestly, Weiss didn’t know why she felt so insistent on this point, herself.  Roman’s tendency to nickname people wasn’t one she’d thought of much, for most of their time together, but as the weeks went by, she started to develop a theory about it.  Namely, that the nicknames were a subtle way of keeping the rest of humanity at arm’s length.  An indirect means of expressing his contempt for others.</p>
<p>It couldn’t be a coincidence that the only person he ever addressed by her proper name was also the only person he cared about, nor that the only times he’d ever called Weiss by her name were in moments that fear and danger forced him to abandon his mask of detachment. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>…Granted, that still didn’t explain why she was so adamant about changing their arrangement now.  Her feelings toward Roman had been a confusing mess ever since her injury in the mine.  It wasn’t quite true to say she was <em>jealous</em> that her dynamic with Roman wasn’t as open and warm as his relationship with Neo, but seeing the two of them together did make her realize that she wanted him to trust her to the same degree she’d grown to trust him.  They were friends, right?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If it seems like a waste, then you should have no problem agreeing, right?”  She remained firm, her voice betraying none of her conflict.  Torchwick still seemed perplexed by the whole situation, but his gaze warmed up after a moment.  He lifted his hands off the top of his seat in a makeshift shrug.<br/><br/>“Normally this is a point I wouldn’t budge on, but I wouldn’t be much of a genie if I broke my word now.  Since it’s you, I guess I’m fine with this.  If I didn’t say that explicitly, you’d start beating yourself up for forcing me into it, right?”<br/><br/>“Ha-ha, I probably would, yeah.”  Weiss admitted, sheepishly.  Torchwick slid his arm free from his chair and flashed his hand across the table, like a showman pulling back a curtain.  <br/><br/>“Well, one more card to flip over.  Let’s see what fate has in store for us.”<br/><br/>Weiss stretched, her blue eyes flicking from one facedown card to the other as she took a deep breath and held it.  In a way, she had made the stakes of the game quite a bit lower, but it was still something important to her.  Eventually, she decided there was no point in overthinking the unknown and reached out for the right-most card.  She gave Torchwick a final glance, which she could only hope looked more confident than she felt, then released her breath slowly.  She slipped her fingernail beneath the corner of the card and flipped it over.<br/><br/></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Epilogue: Dawn of the Mistral Arc</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>Dian of the Fabled</strong>
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<p>It took the trio a few hours of scouring, but eventually they stumbled upon the correct warehouse.  As cities went, Argus was large, and full of a diverse population.  This was good news for their group, as they hoped to remain concealed while observing modern humans and faunus behaving normally.  Unfortunately, it also made the task of finding one specific building a monumental chore.<br/><br/>Argus was built around its harbor, and adjacent to its docks was an enormous warehouse district, which the various shipping companies used to store their merchandise as it was sorted to be sent elsewhere.  Being directed to come here was the first excuse they had ever had to visit this part of town, so for the first few minutes it was surprisingly fun.  They’d weaved in and out of the narrow cobblestone streets, watching the various human and faunus workers pushing and pulling enormous boxes from place to place, and checking the number stamped into the front of each warehouse against the one they were told to enter.<br/><br/>Each building proved to be the wrong one, so they would go down the next street and try again.  When that failed, they went down still the next street and tried yet again.  Then the next street, and the one after that…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Soon, they were so deep in the storage district that there were no more humans.  The buildings, which before had been sturdy and well-maintained, were now dilapidated and forgotten.  When they finally found the warehouse that matched their number, they realized it was the most decrepit of all of them they’d seen thus far.  All of its windows were shattered, so much of its paint was stripped away that they couldn’t even guess at what color it was supposed to be, and the ocean air had caused a healthy coat of rust to cling to the huge iron shutter that served as its main entrance.<br/><br/>“This must be a bad joke.  The nerve of him to send us to a place like this!”  Leanan, Dian’s elder sister, spat.  At just under five feet tall, she was unusually short by human standards, though proportioned normally otherwise, with dark brown skin and golden eyes.  Her curly black hair was bound into a ponytail that ran the length of her back.<br/><br/>When she was a Grimm, she had been a diminutive form of the species humans referred to as a ‘Nevermore’.  While her human form nearly disguised this fact, she was forced to wear black cotton gloves over her hands to conceal that her fingertips ended in sharp, talon-like points. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We-well, if a human listened in on or meeting it would b-be bad, right?”  Dian said softly, scratching the disheveled blonde hair at the side of his head.  He could see that their long trek had frustrated her, so he tried to sound soothing. <br/><br/> While she was his ‘elder’ sister, in that she was given her soul long before he was, you’d never guess it to see them side.  He was pale skinned, meek, and so slender as to seem slightly emaciated by an onlooker, but he also towered over his petite elder.  Granted, he was a touch over seven feet tall… so he towered over most people he encountered.<br/><br/>Like his sister, his human form mostly disguised his Grimm origins, though he possessed traits that were just peculiar enough that they could draw suspicion if he wasn’t careful.  He had to walk with his arms crossed constantly, to hide the fact that his forearms were a quarter-length longer than they should be. Indeed, his arms were so long that, if he were to relax his shoulders and let them hang naturally, he would nearly be able to touch his ankles without bending over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leanan huffed at his explanation but nodded her head as she stomped up to the great metal shutter.  She slid her gloved fingers into the grooves beneath the barrier and grunted in exertion as she attempted to pull it open.  Her tiny body shook from the strain as she flattened her back and put all her strength into the action, only managing to lift the shutter a few inches for her trouble.  <br/><br/>“Ugh!  This accursed, rust-hewn bother!”  She groaned as she gave up, allowing the shutter to slam back to the ground with an audible <em>clang</em>.  She stepped aside and jerked her head back to the other two, pointing to the entrance.  “Brigid!  I delegate this task to you.”<br/><br/>“Hmm!”  Dian’s younger sister grunted her approval, moving from his side and approaching the door enthusiastically.  Brigid was perfectly capable of speaking, but hated doing so; she preferred to communicate through grunts and gestures whenever possible.</p>
<p>She wasn’t especially tall, either… just a head above Leanan, but her broad, stocky frame made her much more imposing.  Her arms, shoulders, and stomach were so rippled with muscles that their contours were visible even within the thick fabric of the white fur coat she always wore, and she put that strength to use here… kneeling down to grip the base of the shutter and throw it open with a single hand. <br/><br/>Back when she was a Grimm, Brigid had belonged to the species humans called ‘Boarbatusk’, and she lived up to that origin even as a Fable: steady and strong.</p>
<p>“Yes, well, of course it was a simple matter for you.  This is your role.”  Leanne sighed, but she still patted her younger sister on the shoulder as she walked past her and into the darkness of the abandoned warehouse.  Brigid brushed the loose strands of her long red hair away from her face before she followed behind her sister, with Dian bringing up the rear, after taking a final look around to make sure no outsiders were watching.<br/><br/>There was nothing inside, save the silhouette of a man standing in the center of a large, empty expanse of concrete floor.  He turned toward them as they threw open the door, raising a hand in greeting and walking their way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re late, but I guess it’s more my fault than yours.  Sorry to bring you to such an out-of-the-way location.”  He had a deep voice, and spoke in a rehearsed, well-enunciated way.  As he drew closer to them, they could see the cut of his white, tailored 3-piece suit, which caught the limited light within the room and gave him an ethereal glow.  Between the suit, his slicked-back black hair, and the dark frames of his glasses, it was clear he was trying to look as prim and professional as possible… though the attempt was undercut somewhat his bright green tie, which was emblazoned with multiple yellow smiley faces.</p>
<p>“It’s go-good to see you, Finn!”  Dian was overjoyed to recognize his elder brother, smiling broadly as he raised a hand in greeting.  It wasn’t surprising to see him, considering he was the one who arranged this meeting in the first place, but Dian was happy to see him anyway.  He preferred when the siblings stuck together… especially considering what had happened to Aibell.</p>
<p>“Finn!  If you were inside the whole time, you could have left the accursed door open for us!”  Leanan scanned the older-looking man from head to toe, grimacing slightly before adding, “…and why in Remnant are you dressed as a clown?”</p>
<p>The two parties walked until they met near the center of the warehouse.  The building had been abandoned for so long that dust had accumulated on the ground like a thin sheet of snow, and the trio could see a trail of dark footprints form along behind them as they walked. <br/><br/>“Clown?”  Finn looked down, blinking as he realized what she meant.  “Ah!  Yes.  The suit was a gift from my wife.  I… suspect my son may have been the one behind the tie, though.”<br/><br/>Dian narrowed his eyes curiously.  Finn was the third-born of the Fabled, and the second son.  He was blessed with a humanoid form that was fully indistinguishable from normal humans, and this, combined with a Semblance uniquely suited to gathering and sharing information, made him a natural choice as their spy.</p>
<p>However, while he lived among humans more frequently than any of the others, he usually kept away from personal contacts.  Dian had never heard of him establishing a family before.  Well, he didn’t really mind, personally.  Finn stayed awake to watch over the rest of them while they spent centuries sleeping, after all.  Surely he got lonely in all that time.<br/><br/>“’Wife’?  ‘Son’? Is this some sort of jest?  You’re meant to blend with the humans, Finn, not <em>blend</em> with them!”  Leanan cared just a little bit more than Dian did about the matter, as her voice seethed with contempt.  Finn leaned back at her words, raising his hands defensively.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s a recent development.  Humans have changed since you began your slumber, their societies are more connected, and reputation is more important than ever.  As I grew more important in my place of employment, I had more eyes watching me.  Living alone as I had before would have been conspicuous, so 10 years ago, I decided to start a human family.  It was all for the sake of my duty to Mother.”  Finn did his best to sound firm and convincing, though he couldn’t help looking away from Leanan’s piercing stare.</p>
<p>“How reassuring!  So, tell me then, Lord Brother, when were you planning to inform the rest of us of your little charade?”  She crossed her arms, putting all her weight on one leg as she tapped her foot.  Dian put his hand atop her head, a gesture he no doubt meant to be reassuring, but which only served to redirect a bit of her anger toward him, instead.</p>
<p>This really wasn’t a time for them to be fighting each other.</p>
<p>“It was never my intent to deceive you, Leanan.  I told you about them immediately, didn’t I?  While we were connected by my Semblance, I had limited time to share information, and had to prioritize telling you Mother’s will.”<br/><br/>Leanan’s frown grew deeper, and she elevated her gaze to attempt to see the hand resting atop her head.  She looked up to Dian, over to Finn, and then sighed.  <br/><br/>“Very well, I will accept that, for now.”  She conceded, the anger in her voice suppressed.  Finn gave her a small smile, adjusting his glasses.  <br/><br/>“I’m sorry for worrying you so.  Fortunately, easier communication is why I’ve come today!  I have gifts for you three.”  He pulled forward the breast of his jacket, reaching inside and producing three small metallic objects, which he handed to each of his younger siblings.</p>
<p>Dian let the item rest in his palm, eyeing it thoughtfully.  It was a small black rectangle, with half of its front covered by a glowing yellow button.  Something about it felt familiar, though it took a moment for him to finally process where he’d seen such queer boxes before—humans used these all the time!  If he recalled correctly it worked like…</p>
<p>He gripped the rectangle in his fingertips, pressing the button and watching as this activated the device, causing the screen to expand until it was about six inches long, and an introductory chime to start playing.    </p>
<p>“Oh, you figured it out, Dian!  It’s one of those glowing boxes the humans are so fond of!”  Leanan’s face lit up, and she flashed a grin that showed off her row of sharp, fang-like teeth as she imitated his actions with her own rectangle.  “I see these often, though I cannot fathom their purpose.”<br/><br/>“They’re called ‘scrolls’, and they have a variety of uses.”  Finn couldn’t resist smiling softly at his sibling’s naïve reaction to the technology.  He pulled his own ‘scroll’ out and opened it up as a means of demonstration.  “They can track aura levels, take notes, play games…”<br/>As he spoke, Finn demonstrated how the various programs could be accessed.  It was a device that responded to touch?  Dian imitated his actions, tapping on the battle icon.  The front of the device flashed, showing a picture of him with a blue bar beside it labelled ‘aura’.<br/><br/>“How con-convenient…”  Dian mused, tapping around further.  Not only his aura level, but his siblings’, as well.  This would make it easier to keep everyone safe.<br/><br/>When Finn said the word ‘games’, Brigid seemed to pay attention to the conversation for the first time since they started, her brown eyes narrowing on the device as she followed his instruction.  Before long she was lost in her own world as she tapped at the device, cheery music emanating from the little rectangle.<br/><br/>Finn gave them a moment to tinker with the scrolls before continuing his explanation.</p>
<p>“For our purposes, the important part is that they facilitate communication over long distances.  I was only able to arrange to meet with you in person today because business happened to bring me to Mistral.  We can’t count on such good fortune repeating itself, and my Semblance has limits to how much information I can convey.  Using these, we can talk to one another as much as we want, no matter how far apart we are.”</p>
<p>Dian felt relief wash over him at the thought.  For most of their lives, the seven Fabled had protected their Mother’s garden.  It was a small, confined space, and because of that none of them ever wandered far from each other.  Now, the garden was gone.  They woke up in the world of Remnant, vast and dangerous.  At least now they could remain close. </p>
<p>“Ah, right, you wandered off to the icy continent, didn’t you?  Seeking humans who struck your fancy, maybe?”  Leanan snickered to herself, but Finn dismissed her with a smile.</p>
<p>“Indeed, I live in Atlas now.  I had to fly into Mistral.”  The elder brother clarified, pausing a moment before slyly adding “…and boy are my arms tired.”<br/><br/>Dian blinked.  Leanan arched her brow, her mouth hanging open, and Brigid continued to absently tap away at her device.</p>
<p>“Are… are you trying to imply you flew here using your arms?”  Leanan had, for once, lost all her usual angry bravado, instead sounding fully confused.  “Is that a new ability you’ve learned while we were asleep?  If so, why would you waste energy doing so?  Humans have created artificial flight vehicles, have they not?”<br/><br/>Finn flashed a toothy grin, a chuckle escaping his throat.<br/><br/>“I apologize for confusing you.  It’s expected for human males who produce offspring to develop a fondness for outlandish implications and turns of phrase that have irrational interpretations.  I’m led to believe it’s known as ‘dad humor’.”<br/><br/>“If that was meant to b-be humor, then…”  Dian hesitated, slipping his unnaturally long fingers through the unkempt mess of his hair.  Finn was probably trying his best.  Dian didn’t want to sound overly judgmental.<br/><br/>“…then I think you’ve failed, Finn.”  Leanan lacked Dian’s concern for how she was perceived and finished the thought he denied himself.  <br/><br/>“Not at all.  I’m led to believe the preferred reaction to ‘dad humor’ is the mild discomfort of the one who hears it.  To that end, I daresay I’m nearing mastery of the craft!”</p>
<p>Leanan groaned, closed her eyes, and massaged the center of her forehead with her clawed fingertips.<br/><br/>“Is this what you brought us here for, ‘Lord Brother’?  To give us these toys and make us mildly uncomfortable?”<br/><br/>Finn threw up his arms again, his smile spreading wider.  His apology aside, he clearly enjoyed frustrating her.  Dian crossed his arms and looked away, smiling a bit himself.  Finn and Leanan were the third and fourth children, born closer together than any of the other seven.  For as long as those two had been alive, they’d always treated each other this way.  He wished they would be a little more tranquil, but there was no real animosity in their actions… it was just their way of enjoying each other’s company.  <br/><br/>“The situation has evolved a lot in a short span of time.  It’s more urgent than ever that we apprehend the Fugitive, and you three are in position to be the next to intercept him.  Establishing a way to communicate and annoying Leanan were side-goals, for sure, but I wanted to make sure you knew exactly what was going on, first and foremost.”<br/><br/>Finn returned his attention to his scroll, navigating the menus until he came to the image he wanted, then turning the screen toward the trio.  The picture on display was of a handsome young man with sharp red hair and bright green eyes.<br/><br/>“The Fugitive goes by ‘Roman Torchwick’.  It’s an alias, but until I encounter him directly, I can’t uncover his true name.  He was a criminal of some renown, terrorizing the regions of Atlas and Vale for several years before his death during the fall of Beacon Academy.”<br/><br/>Dian crossed his arms and frowned, his red eyes glancing up thoughtfully as he strained to connect all those words to their meanings.  The three of them had spent the past month studying the humans and faunus around them; doing the best they could to fill the centuries-long gap in their knowledge. </p>
<p>“’Beacon Academy’ was Ozpin’s organization, was it not?”  Leanan was sharing in Dian’s quest to recall everything they’d recently learned.  Finn raised his hands and clapped softly at this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This is why I’m so fond of you, Leanan!  Every so often you retain the things you hear.  Indeed, Beacon Academy is a front Ozpin uses to gather forces for his endless conflict with Salem, the person our Mother always referred to as ‘The Rebel’.  That academy plays a large role in what’s unfolding before us now, much to our misfortune.”</p>
<p>‘Salem’…  One of the few beings Mother ever feared, and the one from whom the stairway must be protected at all costs.  Dian had always been curious to meet her, back before his slumber.  Apparently, she could control the Grimm… so perhaps she wasn’t so different from the Fabled?  <br/><br/></p>
<p>Finn flicked his finger across the image, replacing it with the next picture in the slideshow: A teenage girl with long silver hair.</p>
<p>“This is Torchwick’s vessel, Weiss Schnee.  She’s the daughter of the current head of the Schnee Dust Company and she attended Beacon Academy until its destruction.”<br/><br/>“So she’s the one we have to kill, then?”  Leanan rested her chin on her fist as she leaned in to examine the picture more closely.  <br/><br/>“Well, if w-we can convince her to return the F-f-fugitive, we won’t have to kill her.”  Dian corrected firmly, shaking his head.  He looked away from Leanan and pursed his lips thoughtfully as he added, “…I-if there’s a way to help Mother without anyone dying, then that would be best.”</p>
<p>Leanan paused, turning her entire body around and letting her hands fall to her hips as she stared at her younger brother, her eyes narrowed.</p>
<p>“No matter how much time I spend with you, Dian, I’ll never cease to be amazed by what a peculiar Grimm you are.”  She opened her mouth as if to continue speaking to him but stopped as a bolt of realization struck her.  Instead, she turned back toward Finn and glared.</p>
<p>“Hold a moment.  ‘Schnee Dust Company’, you say?  Is that not your place of employment, as well?  Why are you pushing this task to us?  You could have resolved the issue with this ‘Torchwick’ when it first started.”  Leanan turned back to her elder brother now, shaking her head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m employed by the SDC, it’s true, but I’m a lowly mid-level bureaucrat.  I didn’t have nearly enough clout to gain access to the Schnee estate, much less get close to one of the heirs without raising suspicion.  Although…”  <br/><br/>Finn closed his eyes, slipping his glasses off and holding them delicately in one hand, before producing a small cloth from his pocket and cleaning the lenses thoughtfully.  He didn’t need glasses, as his vision was already better than a human’s, but he was convinced they helped him fill the role of the ‘average middle-aged man’. </p>
<p>“A few days after Torchwick made Weiss Schnee his vessel, she performed at a charity concert in the capital.  Because of my position, I was invited to attend, and I seriously considered finding a way to attack her while she was exposed.  I hesitated to commit to the plot, though.  I feared exposing myself and revealing us to the world.”</p>
<p>“More like you feared losing your comfortable lie!  You cared more about your false human family than your kin, and now Aibell is dead.”  Leanan scoffed, the annoyed frustration from before replaced with a cold, judgmental wrath.  Finn hesitated, only able to offer a forlorn smile in his defense.</p>
<p>“Aibell was… a miscalculation.  I wholly anticipated that she would ignore Mother’s wishes and find some far-flung corner of the world where she could laze about.  Since she couldn’t blend in with humans, and didn’t even have a semblance to defend herself, I was more than happy to indulge her laziness to keep her safe.  Then, by sheer terrible coincidence, the Fugitive happened to directly cross her path.  It almost felt like divine providence…”<br/><br/>“Let’s not fi-fight over what can’t be changed…” Dian looked from Finn to Leanan, a thoughtful frown on his face.  Finn recognized his younger brother’s discomfort and gave a soft nod.<br/><br/>“You’re right, Dian.  We can assign blame as we please, but there’s nothing we can do for our little sister, anymore.  Instead, let’s learn from our mistakes, and save our Mother’s dream from the forces that would destroy it.  I’ll support you as well as I can, but the mission falls to you three.”</p>
<p>Wait, only the three of them?  Dian looked around the vast, empty space within the warehouse.  Come to think of it, it really was just Finn here, wasn’t it?</p>
<p>“W-wh-where are the others?”  Dian asked.  Finn returned his glasses to his face and pushed them back up the bridge of his nose.  He hesitated, but finally answered.<br/><br/>“… The elders have gone to swear loyalty to Salem.”  He said in a somber tone. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I-isn’t that bad?”  Dian said, knitting his brow.<br/><br/>“It’s terrible!  It’s the worst possible outcome for us. However, this is the hand we’ve been dealt.  By contemptible misfortune, the Fugitive attached himself to a member of Ozpin’s faction.  If either Ozpin or Salem learn of Mother’s plan, they’ll endeavor to prevent it.  Chulainn and Deirdre decided it was better to reveal our existence to Salem willingly, and do what they could to buy you time to complete your task.”<br/><br/>“Oh…”  Dian tried his best not to show too much of his worry on his face, but Finn sensed it, all the same.  The bespectacled Fable walked over to his younger brother and clasped a hand on his shoulder… a gesture made somewhat awkward by the fact that he was more than a foot shorter than Dian.  <br/><br/>“It’s a contingency we planned for, Dian.  Chulainn has a scheme in motion we can use as a last resort, if all else fails.  I can’t go into detail with you three now, but I will.  When the time is right.”<br/><br/>Dian hesitantly nodded at this, though the attempt at comfort elicited a disgruntled snort from Leanan.<br/><br/>“As though we wished to know of your plans in the first place, you condescending jackass.”  She said with the roll of her eyes.  Finn adjusted his glasses before sticking his tongue out at her.<br/><br/>“Fair enough, dear.  Fair enough.  In that case, you all know what to do.  Weiss Schnee is on her way to Mistral, intending to reunite with the members of her former huntsman team.  Work as a team yourselves, subdue her, and return Torchwick to the Stairway of Purification.  Do so before the wrong eyes discover him.”<br/><br/>He paused a moment, turning toward Dian and offering him a reassuring smile before clarifying.</p>
<p>“I’ll leave the means up to you.  Whether you kill her, reason with her, or find some third means of severing their tie, it’s all acceptable.  No one has escaped the stairway since it was constructed centuries ago, and no one will ever escape again once this matter is resolved.  Once the Fugitive is returned, we can live in peace until the day Mother’s garden is whole again.”<br/><br/>Having handed out his gifts and given his instructions, it was clear Finn’s business with the trio had concluded.  He gave them a professional smile as he wiped the dust from his suit and began to turn away.  Leanan’s eyes remained upon him all the while.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes.  Her garden.  That <em>is</em> our goal, isn’t it?  The very garden which we will enter, but which most humans will not… including this lovely ‘wife’ and ‘son’ of yours.  I trust you’ve not forgotten?”<br/><br/>Finn’s smile faded, and a sorrowful shadow filled his gaze as he looked over his shoulder at the elder sister.  <br/><br/>“Leanan, have I ever told you that you’re my favorite of all the siblings?  You always speak your honest feelings, and you never shy away from confronting me with harsh truths.”  The usual professionalism of his voice was gone, replaced with a wistful, resigned sadness.  “Don’t worry, though.  The debt I owe Mother is one I could never forget.  Even if I wanted to.”<br/><br/>“It’s not as though lying to you would accomplish anything, anyway.”  Leanan blinked, taken aback by the sudden praise and the change in his bearing.  She cut her eyes away from him, scratching her cheek.  “I just wanted to make sure you remembered who your family was.”<br/><br/>Finn gave her a slow nod, then turned and began to walk away.  </p>
<p>“Use the information in those scrolls as you see fit.  Don’t hesitate to call me if you need me.  I may not be able to answer the instant you call, but I’ll always get back to you… We’re family, after all.”  As he threw open the shutter, he paused one final time, turning to deliver this reassurance to his siblings.  Dian nodded with a smile, Leanan shrugged, and Brigid didn’t even look up from her screen to acknowledge him.</p>
<p>Then he was gone.  The siblings stood in silence for a minute or two after his departure, absently scrolling through the information he had given them.<br/><br/>“Finn positively stinks of humans, now.”  Leanan was the first to break the silence, collapsing her scroll and returning it to her pocket.  <br/><br/>W-we-well, He’s been l-living with them all this time.”  Dian offered, but his sister gave an angry hiss.</p>
<p>“That’s not what I mean.  I’m saying that he’s changed more than he lets on.  He isn’t doing all of this because he wants to hide among the humans, he’s doing it because he wants to become one of them.  We may as well call him ‘Finn the Human’.”<br/><br/>This caused Dian to pause and stare down at the dusty floor.  The notion of one of the siblings betraying the others caused an intense swirl of anxiety and fear to flow through him, and so he reached into the side pocket of his long coat, pulling out his mask and pressing it over his face.</p>
<p>The mask was something unique to him, among his siblings.  It was a mass of white, bone-like matter, which fit perfectly to the contours his face, and was adorned with red lines along its cheeks and long horns that extended from the forehead.  Though separate from him, it was as much a part of his body as his arms or legs, and he often felt compelled to put it on… especially when he felt emotionally vulnerable.</p>
<p>“I just th-think it’s sad.” Honestly, Dian agreed with his sister.<br/><br/>Finn called his Semblance ‘Insight of the Soul’, and it granted him the power to know the true nature of all things he perceived.  No disguise could fool his eyes, nor could any lie, however well-planned or convincingly told, fool his ears.  His Semblance pierced all deception, and could convey what he learned to others, though the amount he could share was limited depending on the distance between himself and his target. This was a powerful ability, but it came with a drawback:  He couldn’t turn it off.   </p>
<p>Human civilization was built upon lies.  Humans lied to others, and they lied to themselves.  Some deceptions were big, others small, but they weaved a tapestry that brought comfort to the people who used them, whether they realized it or not.  Someone like Finn, who forced anyone he interacted with to face their true selves, quickly became a target of aggression and resentment.</p>
<p>As a result, Finn had always been the most withdrawn and secretive of the seven Fabled.  Before the other siblings fell into slumber, he struggled to form meaningful bonds with others, and stuck to the fringes of any group he joined. Now he had a family?  A job?  Dian had never seen his elder brother so fully integrated into the human world before.</p>
<p><br/><br/>“Oh, I agree wholeheartedly, Dian.  A Grimm who thinks he’s a person… whatever else he may be, our Lord Brother is certainly an incredibly sad specimen.”  Leanan closed her eyes and exhaled sharply, serving as the first of their group to turn around and head back to the warehouse entrance.   “Well, enough about poor Finn.  If we’re to embark on this endeavor, we need a chain of command.  I shall lead us!  If you’ve any objections, I’ll hear them now.”<br/><br/>“I’m not a clever soul.”  Brigid’s voice was firm as she spoke for the first time that day, shrugging her shoulders.  Even now, she still had her scroll opened, tapping the screen rapidly as the same cheerful music played.  “Direct me toward walls you would have smashed down; I’ll smash them down.”<br/><br/></p>
<p>“It’s for the bes-best if you take the lead.  Y-you’re the elder.”  Dian conceded the point easily, lifting his abnormally long arms over his head as he bent to crack his back.  Leanan looked over the two of them, then grimaced.</p>
<p>“Well aren’t you both just so agreeable.”  She said, drawing her breath in through her nose before letting out a heavy sigh.  “Well, as you please.  I can feel the Fugitive drawing closer as we speak.  Let’s go conduct an execution.”<br/><br/>“…or a dis-s-scussion!”  Dian interjected, raising a long, bony finger.  This elicited still another sigh from his elder sister.</p>
<p>“If it will spare me your pouting, we’ll attempt to treat with her once.  I won’t lie and say I hope she listens to reason, though.  Aibell was a slovenly, gluttonous bore, but she was still my baby sister.”<br/><br/>They were nearly out of the building When Leanan came to an abrupt stop, gasping for air as she collapsed onto her knees.  She hugged her sides, her clawed fingertips threatening to dig into her body as her breathing hitched and rasped.</p>
<p>“L-lea!  Is it hurting again?”  Dian immediately forgot everything else, rushing to the aid of his sister.  “I’ll use my sem-semblance to-“  He began to reach out for her back, but she swatted him away before he could make contact.<br/><br/>After a few seconds of gasping and writhing on the floor, her breathing began to steady, and she shakily returned to her feet.  <br/><br/>“I can’t remain dependent upon you forever.”  She said, her voice still a little airy.  She grimaced again, flashing her clenched teeth.  “Humans, Mother, the Fugitive… it’s all so tedious.  I care little for distinction, or for Mother’s dream.  I just want to kill everyone.”<br/><br/>“Lea…”  Dian lowered his gaze, the frown behind his mask growing deeper.  <br/><br/>A Fable was born when a divine being merged a soul with one of the Creatures of Grimm.  Under normal circumstances, such a union was impossible, for the Grimm were creatures of pure destructive energy.  A soul was, in essence, the distillation of the endless creative potential of life itself.  Combining them was like attempting to mix matter with anti-matter.</p>
<p>The Mother of the Fabled was able to overcome this paradox, but not even her divine power could erase the contradiction completely.  A Fable’s body was unstable down to the cellular level, with the disparate elements of their nature constantly attempting to rend them asunder.  Some had it worse than others, but each one of them spent every moment of their lives plagued by an intense, unceasing agony.</p>
<p>Some of Dian’s siblings took this reality with grace. They accepted the pain as a price to be paid for the ability to experience the positive emotions they could never have known without a soul.  No matter how well adjusted, however, each needed to find their own way to endure.  Aibell devoted herself to hedonism and sought to move as little as possible.  Brigid hyper-focused on physical activity and endeavored to think as little as possible.  Leanan was ever bitter and struggled to control her temper.<br/><br/>If Leanan’s theory about Finn’s behavior proved true, then his delusional attempt to play human was likely born from that pain, as well.</p>
<p>“…Except for you, Dian.  I’ll kill everyone else in the world, but I’d lament losing you, so you can remain.”  As her breathing returned to normal, Leanan’s tone began to shift, from barely restrained, pained fury to her usual, more conversational grumpiness.  She pushed him back playfully as she resumed their march.  <br/><br/>“There are mi-millions of people in the world…”  Dian mused, tracing the path of one of his mask’s red lines with the tip of a finger.  “I must be pretty sp-sp-special if I’m the only e-exception.”<br/><br/>This elicited a chuckle from Leanan.</p>
<p>“That’s what I like about you, Dian.  You take everything I say so seriously, no matter how ridiculous.”  She looked down at her palm, slowly extending and curling her fingers.  “I suppose I can deign to spare Brigid, as well. Our new, empty world will doubtless have plenty of walls that need to be smashed.”<br/><br/>The stout sibling grunted her approval without looking up from her screen, and Dian smiled, the turbulent emotions from before finally subsiding enough that he felt comfortable removing his mask.  He slowed his pace, watching as his sisters continued ahead of him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yes, every member of the Fabled had their individual way of coping with the agony of their own existence.  For Dian, it was watching over his siblings.  Leanan may have reached the point where she hated everything and gave up on ever finding relief, but Dian couldn’t help but hope.  Their Mother loved them.  Surely, when they helped her rebuild her garden, she would find a way to end their suffering. </p>
<p>Dian pulled out his scroll again, extending the screen and looking through the photos Finn had given them.  When he came across the picture of Weiss he stopped, looking over it thoughtfully.<br/><br/>Weiss Schnee.  The vessel for the Fugitive.  He wondered what kind of person she was.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was going to explain why this week’s chapter was so late… but I suppose you already noticed the word count.  It’s probably obvious why this beast took some time to get out.  As to *why* the chapter is so long, though, well…</p>
<p>So, remember back when this crazy ride started, and I mentioned that that one-off joke had inspired a story idea that would be novel-length if I wrote it all out?  Turns out, I was wrong.  See, as of the events of this week’s chapter, I’m a bit less than 1/3 of the way through my outline… and I’m 80,000 words deep.</p>
<p>So that joke didn’t inspire a needlessly serious, novel-length fanfic from me… it inspired a needlessly serious, multi-novel saga from me.  This week’s chapter marks the end of the first book, which also gives it the special distinction of being the first time in my entire life I’ve ever written a novel to completion.</p>
<p>Since the epilogue exclusively features OCs, and doesn’t accomplish much outside of setting the stage for book 2, I decided to just go ahead and bundle it with the final chapter, since I’d have felt like I was ripping people off if I featured it as a standalone update… sorry that the extra 6 thousand words did delay the release by a few days, though.</p>
<p>I tend to express gratitude every time I write one of these notes… and that’s not gonna change here, because it really does mean a lot to me that so many people have stuck around for the ride.  I’m glad I was able to sell you on this crack dynamic that bit into me so hard… it’s basically the only reason I’m in the fandom to begin with.</p>
<p>The holidays are upon us, and I’ll be flying home next week.  Internet in rural Missouri is less than stellar, so there will be a brief hiatus while the Christmas season plays out.  This will also give me an opportunity to re-watch volume 5, something I’ve meant to do since I started writing this but keep procrastinating on.  Granted, as the epilogue here not-so-subtly implies… my take on events going forward is going to be just a tiny bit deviant from the established canon… but there will be quite a few events that remain somewhat similar, and I want to make sure I convey them justly. </p>
<p>As always, if enough people want me to keep going, I’ll keep going!  This story gets gradually more ambitious as more time goes on… and I do still fear I’ll eventually reach the threshold where my lack of polish as a writer makes it impossible to continue, but I haven’t hit that wall yet!  Let me know what you thought of everything so far, and what you’d like to see going forward!</p>
<p>The only thing I’m worried about is the currently airing Volume 8.  There’s a very real chance Torchwick could come back, which would be wonderful in terms of making me invested in the actual show again but would also single-handedly murder my motivation to write this story. </p>
<p>Anyway, no point in thinking about things beyond my control!  This note has already gotten out of hand.  Thanks again for all your time and attention, have a wonderful day!  I have a less labor-intensive RWBY fic project I’ll be using to fill the hiatus period, and we’ll get the ball rolling on the second book in the coming months.</p>
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